Red Lions Flying
by Garsson
Summary: The War in the Sky desolated Hyrule, eradicating almost an entire generation of Hylians. Now, war is brewing again. When Link, a smuggler, is brought before Princess Zelda for treason, he's given a choice: use his skills to serve Hyrule, or hang for his crimes. To protect the ones he loves, Link must learn to play the Hero's part. Non-game-specific, vaguely steampunk AU.
1. Chapter 1: Rise and Shine

Link's dream ended when the explosion threw him from his hammock. Blasts echoed through the _Epona, _reverberating down the ship's narrow hallways and shaking her steam-driven core. The ship groaned and creaked in protest, and Link joined in the chorus.

He picked himself up off the cold metal floor and shook his head once to clear it. That noise—that was real, right? Not part of his—

A second explosion blasted all doubt from Link's mind. This was no dream. His airship was under attack.

The _Epona _tilted wildly, shaking and clanking in a panic. Her walls seemed to want to be floors, and the floors seemed completely prepared to take the place of the walls. Link hardly knew which end was up as he struggled into his clothes and fastened the various belts that kept his gear in place. He only barely bothered to tie back his blond hair and completely neglected to button his shirt before climbing—or perhaps crawling along—the ladder to the upper decks.

He scrambled out into the morning, squinting his eyes against the cold wind that tore at his clothes and and the bright sunlight that beat at his face. The ship rocked uncontrollably. Hyrule swung in and out of sight below as the deck heaved. Off in the distance, the shadow of a ship skimmed the clouds, black against the yellow sun. No doubt about it—the enemy was getting closer.

Suddenly, a tiny shadow detached from the distant ship's silhouette and flew towards the _Epona, _whistling quietly. Link hit the deck just as the bomb flower exploded in the air several feet above his head. Ears ringing, Link bit back a curse and staggered up towards the wheel to speak with Malon.

The girl stood firmly, her long red hair whipping around her face as she fought the wheel. Her yellow bandanna was tied around her nose and mouth in a crude sort of mask, but Link didn't need to look at Malon's face to see the grim determination that poured off her in waves. He resisted the urge to shudder. If Malon was worried…

"Malon! What's going on?" Link had to shout to make himself heard above the shrieking wind.

Malon barely spared him a glance. "About time you got up, lazybones! Wake up and smell the sulfur! They came out of nowhere and now they're shooting at us!"

Link swore. "Pirates again? But we have the flag up! Why would they—"

Malon shook her head, gritting her teeth as she jerked the wheel to her left. "I don't think it's the Gerudo, Link. Not with that range. Only the Hylian Armada has guns like that."

Link whistled under his breath. "The Hylian… Farore above, we're in trouble."

A peal of sharp thunder announced another bomb's detonation. Link flinched as the shrapnel struck the deck like fiery hail, and Malon pressed forward on the wheel, sending the _Epona_ into a dive.

"You can say that again." Malon glanced around, pulling the ship into a sharp port turn before sweeping a strand of hair from her face. "Normally _Epona_'d outsail the wind, but with her cargo stashed full of rock…"

Link nodded, his mind racing. "Alright… Let's see… How long have we got until they catch up to us, Malon?"

"What? What do you—"

"If they were shooting to kill, we'd be sunk already. They're trying to force us down so they can board, I think. Which means we might have some time to work with."

Malon risked a glance over her shoulder, biting her lip as she calculated. "I can buy us another… fifteen minutes. Maybe. What're you planning?"

Link cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders, taking a deep breath. "Idiocy. Just keep us steady and… well, do what you do best. Wish me luck!"

Before Malon could protest or question, Link leapt, dashing for the storage room and the chest that held their spare flags. He rifled through it quickly, tossing aside the signal flags until he found the one that would mark the ship as one of Hyrule's honest merchant vessels. As soon as the iconic Golden Eagle was in his grasp, he dashed back out onto the deck and removed his hookshot from its pouch at his hip, attaching the glove portion to his right hand.

Link set his feet, bracing himself, and took aim. The steel-tipped claw launched itself from his wrist like a bullet from a gun, flying up towards the top of the mast where it connected with a heavy thunk. Hardly a second later, Link was jolted off his feet and whisked through the air along the device's heavy chain. Link imagined that he head Malon shouting at him over the wind. The last time he'd tried this stunt, Link had dislocated his arm and then fallen and almost broken his leg, and she had not been happy.

Wind rushed past Link's face, and his eyes streamed. He couldn't help but let out a gleeful shout, despite the ache in his arm, and when he ended his upward journey inches away from the Gerudo flag at the top of the mast, Link had to pause and let out a shaky laugh. That was great. Terrifying, but great.

Without wasting another second, Link wrapped his knees around the mast, eased his arm from the hookshot, and set about removing the Gerudo flag as swiftly as he dared. If he just kept his eyes on the flag, he wouldn't have to think about the wildly swerving horizon. He could ignore the fact that, if he fell right now, he would miss the deck entirely and end his days as an unsightly splatter somewhere in Hyrule Field. Link only had to focus on undoing the—

A bomb flower exploded into a fireball mere feet above Link's head, filling his world with choking smoke. The Gerudo flag came free of the mast and fluttered away into the open sky. Link tightened his grip on the mast and tried not to cough. His eyes watered uncontrollably, but nonetheless, he managed to get the Hylian flag in place. The golden, triforce-headed eagle wouldn't be enough to completely deter the _Epona__'_s pursuer, but it might be enough to confuse the enemy ship long enough to buy a few extra minutes. Link slipped his hand back into the hookshot and took aim at the deck below. The moment the smoke vanished and he could get a clear shot, he would take it.

Another bomb flower got lucky enough to connect with _Epona__'_s hull. The ship shook violently. Link lost his grip on he mast and fell. He didn't have time to scream before the crow's nest hurtled past, followed by _Epona__'_s great white sails. Link flung his arms out to catch himself in the rigging, but it was too far, and he was too slow. Only when the keel of the ship entered his sight did Link finally think to give the hookshot a desperate try. He took aim at the _Epona__'_s horse-shaped figurehead, closed his eyes, and fired.

The agony in his arm was fantastic—it meant that his aim had been true. The hookshot jerked him back towards the ship at lightning speed. Link tumbled gratefully onto the deck, eyes still squeezed tightly shut. He took a few shaky breaths before climbing back to his feet. The way his knees were shaking, it was a wonder Link could stand at all.

"Nayru's love and Din's fire— what the heck were you thinking, Link?" Though she didn't leave the wheel, Malon's voice rose clearly above the wind. "Idiocy—that wasn't idiocy—that was two short steps from suicide! You can't do that—you almost died!"

Link let out a quiet sigh. It was true. Malon was right—but he saw no reason to admit that.

"I'm fine, Malon. I had the situation under control. And it worked—see? They're not firing at us anymore!"

"Must be waiting for their ammunition to grow back…" Malon muttered under her breath, risking a quick glance over her shoulder. In her normal voice, she added, "I swear, Link, if we get out of this, I'm gonna tell Aryll about the stunts you pull when she's not around, and your sister is never gonna let you out of the house again."

Link chuckled, massaging his shoulder. By some miracle, the hookshot hadn't ripped his arm from his body, though it felt as if it had been a close thing. "Who'd be left to go adventuring with you, Malon? You'd miss me if I got grounded, and you know it."

"I'd miss you more if you got yourself killed, straw-for-brains. Now stop blabbing and start thinking—what are we gonna do about the Hylians? They may have stopped shooting for the moment, but they haven't exactly slowed down."

Sure enough, the black blot against the sun was growing larger. Every moment, the Hylian battleship grew nearer, to the point where Link could almost make out the figures running back and forth along the distant deck.

Link closed his eyes for another moment and allowed his brain to race. "Okay, Malon, yeah, you're right. They're catching up. So what do we do? We… We slow down. We can't lose 'em, so maybe if we go quietly, they'll let us off easy."

"Really." Unimpressed was a poor word to express the depth of Malon's doubt. "That's your best plan? Giving up and hoping for mercy?"

"What? No! I'm just getting started. That's—that's the beginning of the plan. Do you have any better ideas?"

Reluctantly, Malon shook her head. "I wish we could drop the load and run."

"You know we can't do that. Mido would probably murder us. Or at least me. You know he's just looking for a reason. But that's beside the point. The point is: we take it easy. Lull them. Like with the song you like to sing to the horses on your ranch—make them comfortable, then take them for a ride."

Malon took a deep breath, nodding once. "Got it. I don't like it, but I got it. What's our story?"

Link opened his eyes again. "Well, we'll start with the usual cover, and then if they—"

"STOP IN THE NAME OF PRINCESS ZELDA, SOVEREIGN RULER OF HYRULE KINGDOM, BEARER OF THE SACRED FORCE, AND PROTECTOR OF THE REALM. MAY THE GODDESSES SMILE UPON HER EVERLASTING BEAUTY." A booming voice echoed from the approaching ship. "DISOBEY, AND YOU WILL BE BLASTED DOWN FOR VIOLATION OF HYLIAN AIRSPACE, BY ORDER OF THE PRINCESS."

Link swore. Malon yanked her bandanna off her face and quickly tied it back over her hair. She then brought the _Epona_ to a halt in the middle of the sky. The ship floated forward for a brief moment, puffing tiny white clouds out into the azure sky, before gently lurching to a complete stop. Link crossed his fingers for luck, praying fervently to all three goddesses as the Hylian galleon floated down to rest beside the _Epona._

The other ship was big—a wall of ornate wood and steel, elaborately decorated with every shade of bronze, brass, and gold. Its sails were large enough to be mistaken for clouds in their own right, and Link thought the boat looked big enough to house a whole village worth of people at the least. On the side of the ship, in great, beautiful bold letters, two words were painted.

"_The Groose,_"Malon whispered, raising an eyebrow, "sort of an odd name, isn't it?"

Link nodded, holding his tongue. At that moment, _The Groose_ extended a long, creaking bridge down to the _Epona. _It was a show of power, of course. An ordinary ship would have merely lowered a ladder and saved the trouble, but this was a Hylian Loftwing—one of the grandest ships in the sky. _The Groose _was as close to an ordinary ship as a swan was to duck. The brilliantly armored soldiers aiming over the railing only served to reinforce the difference.

Link took a deep breath, forcing himself to keep calm. One wrong move, and the Hylian Guard would blast him into oblivion. Malon would be on her own, and Aryll would never know what had happened to—

A sudden fanfare startled Link out of his silent panic. Trumpets blared, and for a moment Link feared his world was ending. Then an impossibly large figure began a stately strut down the connecting bridge, followed by a pair of helmeted minions.

The man was huge—well over six feet tall, though some of that height undoubtedly came from his impressive scarlet pompadour. The effect was completed by the guy's broad shoulders and arrogant expression. He looked like a giant—aloof and untouchable—an incarnation of the power of the Hylian Armada. The markings on his uniform were subtle, but the man's rank was clear. This rooster-headed mountain of a man was none other than the Captain of the Hylian Guard.

Link's blood ran cold.

Malon leaned over and hissed in his ear. "Y'know, Link, suddenly I'm not terribly fond of this plan of yours."

Link nodded and returned a whisper. "Yeah, you and me both."

The Captain looked around, his face twisted into a disdainful sneer. "So, who's in charge of this floating dump?"

Link and Malon exchanged a glance. Malon rolled her eyes and nodded for Link to go forward. Link stepped up, clearing his throat. "That would be me."

The captain narrowed his yellow eyes, moving in a bit too close for comfort. Link was forced to lift his head to meet the man's gaze.

"Try again."

"Excuse me?"

"Try. Again."

Link resisted the urge to let his exasperation show. "Uh… That would be me… Sir?"

The giant leaned in, seeming to relish in his authority. "And don't you forget it."

Link stifled an unimpressed snigger.

The other man didn't seem to notice. He was too busy strutting around, making a show of his power. "I am the great and brilliant Captain Groose of the Hylian Guard—and you—you little nobodies were flying a Gerudo flag in Hylian airspace."

"Actually, there's a good reason for that," Link interjected, taking advantage of Groose's momentary pause for breath.

"I hope you have a good—" Groose paused mid-tangent to whirl around. "Hey, look, you—don't you talk unless I say you can talk! Did you not hear me say 'Captain of the Hylian Guard?' In case that didn't get through to your no-doubt squishy little brain, that means I can have you thrown in prison before you've figured out which way's up!"

Link raised his hands in a gesture of apology. "So… does that mean I can talk now? Sir?"

For a moment, Link thought Groose was about to refuse and launch some new self-glorifying rant, but surprisingly, the man relented. Groose nodded gracelessly. "Yeah, sure. Go on. But this'd better be good!"

Link took a deep, calming breath, cleared his throat, and began to lie. "Well, y'see, Captain, my sister Marin and I—we're just poor, honest traders. Ever since our parents died in the war—"

"Wait, wait—hold up," Groose interrupted, waving a hand to cut Link off. "She's your sister? You two don't look related." He gestured suspiciously at Malon.

"Well, technically she's my half-sister," Link explained, shrugging as if the motion would excuse the obvious genetic discrepancy.

Malon nodded, backing him up with a lie of her own. "Madas here— his father married our mother after my dad died. That's why we look so different."

Groose narrowed his eyes. "Yeah, right. Anyway, you—Madas—keep talking."

Link nodded and resumed his fictitious tale. "Right… well, ever since our father died in the war, we've been running the business to make ends meet and to afford medicine for our sick mother—taking shipments of cloth and milk and stuff to villages all over Hyrule. We were just on our way to make a delivery off near the desert, and we've been having so much trouble with pirates from there lately, we thought that maybe if we showed the Gerudo flag, they'd leave us alone. I swear—really, Marin and I are both loyal Hylians, through and through." It was almost the truth. Almost. Just like Link almost didn't feel bad about what he was doing.

Malon came to the rescue, putting on her best, most charming honest smile. "Neither of us would ever have anything to do with the Gerudo, and we're really sorry to have wasted your time, Captain. I'm sure a man as great as you has so many more important things to do." She tucked a strand of hair behind her ear and fluttered her eyelashes distractingly. It might have been Link's imagination, but Groose seemed to get a bit flustered.

"Yes, well… uh… Right. Of course. You wouldn't believe the adventures I've had, Marin. Exciting stuff. You know, Hyrule would be lost without me. I'm practically Princess Zelda's right hand man."

Malon's widened her eyes, feigning amazement. "Oh, really? Wow—I never guessed when I woke up this morning that I'd be meeting someone so… brilliant."

Groose ran a hand over his scarlet pompadour, a stupid smile growing over his face. He looked as though he were ready to start drooling. One of his minions—the taller one—tapped the Captain on the shoulder and whispered something inaudible. Groose gave him a sharp glance and instantly sobered up.

"If you two really have nothing to hide, then you won't mind us searching your ship."

Malon's smile barely faltered. "No, no, not at all, Captain! Go ahead!"

"Yes, of course," Link forced a grin of his own. "The sooner we resolve this little misunderstanding, the sooner we can get on with our delivery. By all means, look, Sir. There's nothing to find."

Groose snapped his fingers. "Cawlin, Strich, you heard them. Let's all go below decks and see what there is to see."

Groose's minions stepped forward, the taller one taking Link's shoulders, and the short one grabbing Malon's arm to stop any thoughts of escape. Groose led them down the dark ladder to the storage hold, and Link and Malon both had to make their best effort to appear as if nothing in the world was wrong.

The hold itself was the biggest room in the ship, though the boxes and crates stacked to the ceiling made it seem small and confined. Barrels lined what little floorspace was left, and the whole mess was illuminated by a single lantern that swung down from a long rope attached to the ceiling. Groose eyed the place distastefully and prodded one of the barrels with the toe of his boot.

"Cawlin—you take the starboard side. Strich, you search the port. I'll keep watch for any funny business from our little pals, here."

"Yes sir, Captain Groose!" The minions leapt into action, opening barrels and examining crates. Link felt his heart speed up. All the pair found, however, were bolts of rather cheap fabric, and cartons of plain, ordinary milk.

"So. Looks like you two're honest after all. And here I was hoping I'd get to present Princess Zelda with a couple of fresh-caught criminals. Talk about a waste of my time. The princess would have…" Groose shook his head and trailed off, looking insultingly disappointed.

Malon exchanged a relieved glance with Link, before giving Groose another overly sweet smile. "Oh, but Captain Groose, it has been such an honor to be able to meet you! It's not every day a girl like me gets to meet a man so… interesting."

Link choked back a chuckle, wondering how Malon managed to hide her disdain for the giant, red-haired egomaniac. When Malon threw him a sharp glance, however, Link straightened up and forced his expression to remain taciturn.

Groose didn't seem to notice the obvious manipulation. He was too busy lost in some unknowable daydream granted to him by Malon's pretty face. Link was just starting to wonder if he would have to fetch the crowbar when Groose finally managed to rally his brain enough to form a coherent sentence.

"You know, Marin," he began, casually leaning against one of the many wooden crates, "though I'm a very busy guy, I might be able to free up my schedule, if you'd—"

The crate shifted under Groose's weight, sliding into a slight, square-shaped depression in the floor with a resounding click. The _Epona_ started to rumble and hiss faintly. Link felt the blood drain from his face.

The false panel in the floor smoothly fell away, revealing the _Epona_'s secret compartment. The hidden room was full to bursting with an illicit shipment of Farore's Breath, the magical ore needed to craft an airship's flight engine. The stuff was rare and powerful, and there was enough in the hold to supply a small fleet.

Groose looked down at the illegal cargo, then returned his gaze up to view Link and Malon. The stupidity had vanished from his face. Cawlin and Strich raised their crossbows. Link and Malon raised their hands.

"Looks like I get to drag you before Zelda after all," Groose chuckled, apparently pleased.

"Look, this isn't—" Link began, but a warning look from Cawlin cut his protest short.

"You're done talking, Mister Madas—if that is your real name."

Groose nodded, crossing his arms and letting a self-satisfied smirk appear on his face. "Is or isn't—Princess Zelda'll find out. Zelda'll find out every one of your treasonous lies, and then the pair of you will face the gallows."

Malon gave Groose one last simpering look. "But Captain, I…"

A flash of guilt invaded the man's confidant smirk. Link saw the weakness and leapt.

He hung his head, biting his lip and doing his best to fake shame. "Please, sir, let my sister, at least, go. She… she was never a part of this—she didn't know… I had to… for our mother…" He risked a glance at Malon, ignoring the incredulous, worried look on her face. One of them had to get away, and she had the better chance. She had the better chance, and… Well, Aryll would be upset when Link didn't come home, but Malon would explain. Malon could take care of her.

Malon shot Link the dirtiest glare she could muster, but had the grace to play along. "How… how could you, Madas? Why didn't you tell me— what is mother going to do, now…?"

Link hung his head. He didn't dare lift his face enough to check if Groose believed the story. A long moment of silence took up residence in the room. Eventually, Groose chased it away with a reluctant sigh.

"Strich, take Marin back to the ship, take this tiny rust-bucket in tow, and when we arrive in Castle Town, I suppose we'll confiscate the goods and let her off with a warning. Maybe a fine. But if she crosses our paths again, there'll be no more mister nice guy—from any of us. But you—Madas… This is treason. This is treason, and you can't weasel out of it like the deadbeat I'm sure you are. Taking airship materials to the enemy…" Groose shook his head in exaggerated condemnation. "How do you live with yourself? How do you sleep at night?"

Link rolled his eyes and forced himself to stay patient. Fighting now would only make things worse. "I… I needed the money, Sir… Please—please don't let me hang…" Maybe, if he was lucky, the strained exasperation in his tone would sound like frightened despair, and Groose would buy the desperate innocent act. Though Link hated to beg, Malon would stay free, and right now that was more important than Link's own ego.

Groose ran a hand over his pompadour again, obsessively smoothing back a couple of stray, windblown hairs. "That's not my call, pal. Only Princess Zelda can decide your fate, and she's gonna make sure you get what you deserve. Maybe—just maybe—if you pray real hard, the gods'll pity you and make sure it ends quick. But I wouldn't count on it."

With that, Groose turned on his heel, snapping his fingers. Cawlin and Strich herded Link and Malon back up the ladder into the sunlight. Link barely had time to whisper his last wish to Malon before they were dragged apart by the Hylian Guard.

"Malon—look after Aryll. Tell her I'll be okay. I'll get out of this somehow—I promise. I'll meet back up with you and the rest of the Red Lions the moment I'm given the chance, and—"

Link never got to finish his thought. He and Malon were separated, and guards surrounded him. His wrists were bound behind his back, his weapons were confiscated, and Link himself was thrown into the brig.

Muttering a swift prayer, Link closed his eyes and struggled to quell his growing dread.

* * *

**Thanks for reading the first part of Red Lions Flying! I hope you enjoyed it. (More importantly, I hope you enjoyed it enough to come back and read the next bit, too, when it's up. But that's beside the point.)  
**

**Unfortunately, between school and other projects, I tend to be really busy-so I think I'm going to do one of those things where I won't worry about uploading new chapters until I get at least five reviews or so. If I know people are waiting on me, I'll be more motivated to write quickly, and if nobody really cares, I can just relax and continue to work at my own pace, and update whenever the heck I feel like it. (Also, I just really like hearing people's comments and opinions and stuff. If you tell me what you think, I can make my writing that much better as a result. But again, I digress.)**

**So yeah. Thanks again for reading, and please leave a review, or favorite, or do whatever floats your boat. Or your airship, as the case may be.**

**Until next time!**

**~Garsson**

**(****Also, as another side note, I should probably mention that I don't own or claim to own any of the various characters, locations, or concepts trademarked by Nintendo. But if you're here reading this, it's probably a safe bet that you already knew that. So yeah. Now I've officially stated it, so please nobody go and sue me.)  
**


	2. An Audience with Zelda

The cell was dark and damp, and too near the engine room. Link wanted to sleep, but the clank of metal on metal and the hiss of escaping steam kept him from finding any rest, and the knot of worry at the pit of his stomach made it impossible to get comfortable. He shifted, and turned, and willed the time to pass, but it still felt like ages before _The Groose _finally pulled into port at Castle Town.

Link took a deep breath and sighed. Everything would be fine— Malon was okay, Aryll would be okay, and if he could spin a good enough lie, he would be okay, too. Everything would work out, somehow. He just had to believe that.

Link's pointed ears twitched, and he sat up suddenly. Someone was coming—he could hear their steady, even footsteps clanking down the hall.

Within moments, Groose came into view. There wasn't a stray hair in his pompadour, and the man's armor looked freshly polished. In comparison, Link felt rumpled, disheveled, and altogether messy. His hair had fallen out of its ponytail, and with his wrists behind him, Link had been unable to button his shirt.

"Well, Mister Madas," Groose sneered, unlocking the cell door and hauling Link to his feet, "it's time for your audience with the lovely Princess Zelda. Then afterward, if you're lucky, you might just get a date with Miss Noose—I hear she's single and just _dying_ to _tie the knot.__" _

Groose chortled at his own cleverness. Link rolled his eyes, unable to resist a snarky reply. "Ooh, clever. Did you come up with that on the spot? Or have you just been hanging around this entire time waiting to deliver that snappy bit of gallows humor?"

Groose narrowed his yellow eyes, but rather than think of a retort, he just gave Link a warning shove. "I don't have time for this crap, traitor—Princess Zelda is waiting. Hurry up and get moving."

Link exhaled a slow sigh, swallowing his pride. _Think of Malon and Aryll, _he reminded himself, _They need you back in one piece. _

He lowered his gaze and started to walk.

Groose escorted Link through the ship, then down the ramp to Hyrule Castle's airship dock. The floating stretch of land was held aloft by magic and tethered to the earth by a thick steel chain and an elaborate system of hanging lifts and pulleys. However, unlike the Castle Town dock, which was a colorful, bustling center of commerce, the Hyrule Castle dock was gray, regal, and almost completely empty. Only those associated with the royal family had the privilege of using it, and Link felt ironically honored to actually see it in person.

Groose didn't give him time to take in the view, though. Before Link could blink twice, Groose pushed him into what looked like a huge, ornate steel birdcage. A large square button protruded from the floor, and when Groose stepped on it, the lift fell into a smooth descent. For several minutes, the only sound was the rushing wind and the faint clink of chains and machinery, until finally, the lift landed in one of Hyrule Castle's many interior courtyards.

Groose gave Link a shove. Link stumbled out of the lift, into an open garden.

White and yellow flowers lined the gray stone path, and tall green trees sprouted up out of the vibrant emerald grass. Stained glass windows looked down from white marble walls, and the only exit was protected by a pair of guards. Both men wore brightly polished armor and carried spears taller than they were, and both men seemed as though they'd happily impale Link as soon as look at him. They whipped off smart salutes the moment they saw Groose, and held the position until Link and the Captain had passed.

Groose dragged Link through the castle, over plush scarlet carpets, under high arched ceilings, and up a flight of steep, polished stairs, until at last the looming doors to the throne room came into view. Link slowed, nervous, but Groose kept walking. The Captain straightened his clothes, ran a careful hand over his pompadour, then flung the doors open, roughly tossing Link inside.

Link hit the floor hard, his face connecting with crimson carpet. Groose strode in after, bowing magnificently to the figure on the throne. Link pulled himself to his knees, and his eyes met Zelda's.

She had such blue eyes—blue as the sea and the sky both together. Her golden hair was elegantly gathered behind her head, except for a single pair of curls that artfully framed her face. Her dress was a masterpiece of tasteful corsetry, delicate lacing, white ruffles, and lavender silk. Though she couldn't have been much older than Link, something in her face, her bearing, seemed almost ancient, somehow tragic and serene.

Link caught his breath and lowered his gaze.

"What's this, Captain?" Though Princess Zelda spoke softly, her voice carried through the hall, echoing firmly in Link's head.

Groose swept another elaborate bow. "A traitor, your Highness. I apprehended this man near the Hylian-Gerudo border. He was carrying an illegal shipment of Farore's Breath into enemy territory—taking precious Hylian resources to the desert menace."

Zelda nodded, casting a critical glance at Link. "What is your name, smuggler?"

Link raised his head again, frantically trying to fabricate a compelling tale.

Groose began to speak for him. "He says his name is—"

Zelda cut the Captain off with a wave of her white-gloved hand. "Thank you, Captain Groose, but I would rather hear the man tell his own story. Let him speak."

Groose nodded reluctantly, glaring at Link as he offered the Princess a bow.

Link licked his lips, taking a deep breath. "My name is Ma—" he paused_, _and found that he could not continue his lie. Zelda's eyes were too gentle, too blue."My name is Link, your Highness. I am Link, and what your Captain says is true. I was delivering ore to the Gerudo people. However, I only did it to keep my family fed. Please, your Highness, have mercy. I beg you." Link lowered his head. Though he could not bring himself to lie, he could use his shame, he could amplify his remorse and win the princess over with the mostly unvarnished truth. It wasn't much of a plan, but Link knew his options were limited.

Unsurprisingly, Princess Zelda was far from impressed. She stood up from her throne and stepped closer to Link, examining him. "So, Link, you freely confess to your crime. Such honor is rarely found among traitors and thieves, though such a small display of virtue does not excuse you from the gallows. Tell me, why did you turn against Hyrule? You say to feed your family—but there are plenty other ways a man like you could have earned his bread. Many ways, well within the bounds of the law. Why should I show you mercy when you have stolen the rupees from our coffers and aided the enemy while Hyrule suffers?"

Link licked his lips again, choosing his words carefully. "With respect, your Highness, when the War in the Sky ended, my sister and I were left alone. My father fought and died in the battle above Lake Hylia, and my mother was volunteering with the potion maker in the Kakariko Hospital when it was bombed. We lost everything because of your father and his war, and when the veterans returned, no one wanted to hire a boy when they could hire a man to do the job better. Don't get me wrong—I'm not trying to blame you, or the veterans, or anyone—I understand that things would have been worse if the Gerudo had won—but realistically, this…" He paused, taking a moment to collect his thoughts. "Smuggling was the only way I could provide for the people I want to protect. Please, your Highness, they need me. I can't afford to hang."

Zelda stood for a moment in silence. "…Tales like yours are all too common in this age, Link. Though my heart goes out to you, you must know that we stand on the brink of a second war with the Gerudo—a war we must fight without our mothers and fathers. You are not the only one who has lost family to the War in the Sky, Link. You are not the only one with people you wish to protect. You have your family, and I have my kingdom. Pure as your motives might be, I will not allow you to continue jeopardizing all I hold dear. I can't afford to let you walk free."

"Princess, please—!" Link cried, his composure slipping, "My sister, she—she needs me! I have to be there to protect her! Give me a chance—I'll never deal with the Gerudo again—I'll—!"

Zelda silenced Link with a wave of her hand. "You'll do anything. Is that what you're trying to say, Smuggler?"

Link lowered his face again, his heart sinking with every word he had to speak. "Yes, Princess. Anything."

"Then tell me, Link, why do you wear a glove over your left hand?"

"What?" Link lifted his head, bewildered.

Zelda's face was calm, serene and impassive as ever. "It was a simple question, Link. Why do you wear a glove over your left hand?"

"It… helps me keep my grip when I'm in the sky," Link answered, puzzled. "It's cold up there, and the clouds tend to make the railings damp and slippery."

"Is that your only reason?" Zelda began pacing circles around Link, appraising him.

Link shifted uncomfortably, wishing he'd had time to make himself look more presentable. "Well, no, your Highness. I wear it for my sword as much as I wear it for the railings."

"Ah, yes. Captain Groose mentioned that he confiscated a sword… However, that's still not what I mean, Link."

"Well, excuse me, Princess, but I'm afraid I honestly don't know what you're talking about," Link lied, his words coming out far more sharply than he'd intended. He mentally cursed himself for snapping, but something in Zelda's eye had him on edge. His left hand began to tingle uncomfortably.

Zelda nodded to Groose, who was still sulking by the door like a scorned rooster. "Captain Groose, please release this man's hands."

"What? But Princess—he's a crook! Who knows what—"

"Captain, while I appreciate your concern, I would appreciate your obedience even more. You must know, I only ask because I have full confidence in your ability to apprehend him should he attempt an escape."

Groose preened, sauntering over, and Link took a moment to marvel at how effectively Zelda managed the man. Chastising him one moment and stroking his ego the next, Zelda kept the Captain of the Guard well under her thumb. Groose looked practically giddy to be following her orders.

The man grabbed Link's hands and made a show of removing the handcuffs, going out of his way to twist Link's wrists uncomfortably in the process. Link hardly had time to shake out his arms before Zelda followed with a new command.

"Now, Captain, remove his glove. I wish to see the back of his hand."

Groose seized Link's arm, trapping his hand and yanking off the glove despite Link's pained cry.

"What the—" Groose began, stunned by the soft golden glow emanating from the triangular birthmark on Link's bare skin. "Princess Zelda—that can't be—?"

Zelda didn't even blink. "Of course it isn't," she said, tugging vaguely at her own elbow-length gloves, "it's an unsightly birthmark. Nothing more. You can release him now, Captain. Thank you."

Groose let go of Link's arm. Link stumbled, but said nothing. Zelda returned to her throne, seeming somehow shaken. Though she maintained her air of serene dignity, she kept fidgeting, playing with the laces of her gloves.

"Captain Groose, there are some documents in the library that I need to see. They contain sensitive information, and I fear you're the only one I can trust to deliver them to me. They're tied with blue ribbon. Would you be so kind as to fetch them?"

Groose spent a moment standing, apparently torn between his desire to protect and his desire to serve, but after a moment's debate, he swept a deep bow. "Of course, your Highness. Gladly." The man turned on his heel and stalked off, pausing only to leer at Link before he left, leaving the smuggler alone with the Princess.

The moment the doors shut behind Groose, Zelda gave Link a calculated glance. "So. I have made my decision concerning your fate."

"Yes, Highness?" Link answered, surreptitiously fixing his shirt and straightening his hair now that his hands were free.

"I shall give you a choice. I'm sure you know that the Gerudo forces have their eyes on our Hylian sky. I can't send a ship anywhere without them knowing, and in the past few months, countless ships laden with everything from food, to weapons, to diplomatic emissaries have gone missing, never to be heard from again. It's become clear that I need to change my tactics. If you swear allegiance to me and vow to use your particular brand of expertise to help me get past the Gerudo pirates and establish the alliances I need for the coming war, you shall live, and we can all pretend that this little meeting never happened. When your job is done, you'll be granted a full pardon, as well as any honors appropriate to your service. However, should you refuse my offer, you shall hang for your crimes against the crown. Do you understand?"

Reluctantly, Link nodded. He could feel his freedom slipping away with every word Zelda spoke. "So I can either do your dirty work or die, eh? Some choice you've given me, Princess…"

Zelda gave Link a tiny, mischievous smile, and for once she almost looked her age. The tragedy was gone from her face. "And yet, it is a choice. You have every right to refuse, you know. I'm sure the hangman won't mind. He gets twenty rupees per execution, you see, and he's simply—"

"No, no, thanks, that's okay," Link interrupted, "I'll smuggle for you, if that's the only option I have. I'm not in any hurry to die."

Zelda nodded graciously, as though Link had agreed from the goodness of his heart. "Hyrule thanks you for your service. Should you die in the line of duty, I shall personally ensure that proper funeral arrangements are made. Do you find this to be agreeable?"

Link nodded, feeling sick. "Yeah, sure. Fine. Agreed. Can we stop discussing my death, now? Believe it or not, I don't find the topic pleasant."

"I don't fault you for that," Zelda conceded, smiling again. However, her businesslike manner returned a moment later. "So, Link, you agree to serve me as a smuggler for the Hylian war effort?"

Link sighed. "Yes, your Highness, I suppose I do."

"Good." Zelda looked over her shoulder and gestured at the corner of the room. To Link's surprise, an imposing, armor-clad woman stepped out from the shadows, striding forward to kneel beside the throne like a tigress waiting to pounce. Her white hair was tied back into a tight ponytail, and her clothes bore an odd, eye-shaped design that stuck Link as distinctly uncanny. Even more unsettling was the red tattoo that striped down the woman's face, crossing her left eye.

"What do you think, Impa?" Zelda asked, giving the woman a smile.

Impa give Link an appraising glance, her crimson eyes regarding him coolly. "He's far too young, he has no discipline, he's a liar, and he was caught by the likes of Groose. Far from impressive. However, the goddesses give great gifts in strange packages, so there is a chance I won't have to kill him for you."

"Truly, you flatter me with your glowing recommendation," Link muttered under his breath.

Zelda smiled faintly, speaking to Impa as she looked at Link. "Yes, he's young, but he's full of courage, with an honest heart. Yes, he's made mistakes, but if we can keep him from wandering farther down the wrong path… Maybe he'll surprise us. Do you have the Gossip Stone fragment?"

Impa nodded and got to her feet, bringing a pair of strange objects out from some hidden pocket. Link caught a glimpse of what appeared to be a bronze ring set with an irregular chunk of blue glass, and a small, round something that looked a bit like a deku se—

There was a blinding flash. The next thing Link knew, the ring was clamped on his arm, and Impa was inexplicably standing on the other side of Zelda's throne.

"Din's fire!" Link exclaimed, "what just— How did—"

"Impa is a Sheikah," Zelda explained, calmly resting her chin on her hand, "Her people have loyally served the royal family for generations, and she's very good at what she does."

"What does she… do?" Link asked, almost certain he was better off not knowing.

Impa snickered. Zelda gave an enigmatic little smile. "Impa is my attendant and my bodyguard, Link. She does whatever needs doing."

"Some problems are best solved in shadow," Impa added, a tiny smirk gracing her lips.

Link shook his head and let the matter drop. He turned his attention instead to the bracelet on his wrist. It was cold and smooth and seamless, yet when he tried to take it off, he found the bronze ring too small to slip over his hand. It was a mystery how Impa had gotten the thing onto his arm in the first place.

"This…" Link tapped the strange piece of jewelry with a finger, "what is it?"

"It's dangerous to go alone." Zelda answered simply, "Take this, and you will never be without help in your quest."

"What?"

"Your mission is a dangerous one. A connection back to me will make things easier."

"I still can't say I understand you, Princess,"

"Then allow me to start again. Have you heard the stories of the ancient, mystical stones that house the souls of fairies? The tales speak of old magic that lets them share information with anyone who can hear. Many years ago, one of the Kings of Hyrule found the secret to refining this magic, and he used it to create several charms that allowed him to speak with his servants, no matter the distance. That bracelet on your arm is one such charm. Through it, you can receive your orders and report back to me. And you shan't have to worry about losing it, for it won't come off until I release you from the service you owe. Is it all clear now?"

"Clear as day," Link sighed, his shoulders falling. Suddenly, his position felt more real—more permanent.

Zelda beamed. "Marvelous! Your warden will explain—"

Link cut her off. "Wait—my warden? I'm gonna have a warden? I thought this was supposed to be secret—how can you expect me to get anything done if there's a—"

Impa interrupted with what could only be called a growl. "You'd get your answers a lot faster if you would let the Princess speak, boy. Patience."

Link made a face, but thankfully Zelda didn't seem bothered by his breach of etiquette. "Don't worry, Link. Your warden won't get in your way. In fact, I have no doubt that she'll be quite useful to us both in the coming weeks."

As Zelda spoke, the glass stone in the bracelet began to glow and sparkle with a strange light. As Link stared in growing alarm, a blue sphere materialized in the air above his wrist, spreading its iridescent wings with a noise like a gently ringing bell.

Zelda chuckled at Link's surprise. "Link, meet Navi. She will be your warden and your guide as you fulfill your oath to me."

"Hello!" A high pitched voice chimed as the blue ball bobbed and darted around Link's head. "It's nice to meet you, Link! I'm sure we'll get along splendidly! Don't you worry, either! I'll keep you on the straight and narrow!"

"You're—you're kidding me." Link said, turning his head this way and that as he tried to track the fairy's dizzying flight. "A fairy? My jailer is a fairy? Where did you even—Okay. Okay. This could be worse. Okay."

"Is something wrong?" Navi asked, zooming in an inch away from Link's face. He recoiled, barely catching a glimpse of the humanoid form within her intense blue aura.

"I didn't know fairies even—and I'm gonna have to answer to a little—I don't—okay. My warden is a fairy. I can accept this. Just… Okay."

Navi giggled. Zelda and Impa exchanged amused glances.

"Navi is an expert on the monsters of the world." Zelda smiled as the fairy flew forward to sit on her gloved hand. "If you encounter dangers in your travels, she can help you figure out how best to combat them. And because she's a fairy, no one but you will have to know she exists. She will stay in the bracelet when others are around, so your mission will remain a secret to everybody."

"What is my mission anyway?" Link asked, fighting to keep the frustrated desperation from seeping into his voice, "You've been going on and on about what you have and what you need, but you still haven't told me what it is you want me to do. Is there a point to all this? Or am I just gonna have to hang around until you think of some task too demeaning for your brilliant Captain Pompadour?"

The smile died on Zelda's lips. Link bit his tongue. She looked so old, now…

"As an airshpman, Link, I'm sure you know that, in order to fly, a ship has to be made of certain materials." The Princess' voice was cold, regal, and somehow sad.

Link nodded, reigning in his attitude in an effort to appear helpful. Maybe that would make her smile again. "An engine of Farore's Breath makes the ship fly, a hull of Din's Blood is lightweight and almost unbreakable, and Nayru's Heart keeps the ship livable up where the air is cold and thin."

"Exactly. We have our own mines here, where we can get Farore's Breath, but I'm afraid we have to import the other two varieties. Normally, the Hylian Armada buys from the Gorons and the Zoras, but… recently, the regular shipments have stopped. None of the men I've sent to investigate have returned to me. You, Link, have to be the first. You must fly to Death Mountain unseen and gain audience with Darunia, the Patriarch of the Gorons. We must convince him to trade with us again—whatever the Gerudo have done to make him stop, we have to undo. We have to cement our alliance with the Gorons—we will need them standing beside us if Hyrule Kingdom is to survive the days ahead."

"I see," Link said as he nodded absentmindedly, digesting Zelda's words. "I get it. You need a man who can go places you can't, do things your soldiers don't dare to, and isn't gonna cause a stir if he vanishes. Soldiers dying is bad for morale. Me dying is just twenty rupees the hangman doesn't get paid. Am I right?"

Zelda looked genuinely hurt. "No, that's not at all it! Oh, Link, I'd explain if I had the time, but any minute now—"

Groose burst in through the door with a blue-ribboned scroll in his hand. Evidently the man had forgotten to knock. He swept in like a hurricane, pushing Link aside and dropping into an elaborate bow as he practically sang, "Princess Zelda, your Groose is here at last! I present to you: the Romani Files!"

Zelda gave Groose a glassy smile. "Thank you, Captain Groose. You're very kind. The most loyal of all my men, I'm sure."

Groose ran his hand over his pompadour, his face going red and stupid as his ego inflated. "It's my honor, Zelda, your Highness. Now—now—" the man looked around for some new way to impress the princess, and his eyes fell upon Link, who was standing there awkwardly, off to the side where he had been shoved. "Him! The criminal! Shall I escort him to the hangman for you, Princess?"

"No, Groose, thank you, but that won't be necessary. I've decided to pardon him."

Groose had already grabbed Link's arm and dragged him halfway out the door when Zelda's words registered. "P-pardoned?! You mean you're just—you're letting him go?"

Zelda nodded. "The boy has impressed me with his virtue. Link has promised to mend his ways, and I think Hyrule will be better off for his survival. Is this a problem, Captain Groose?"

Groose released Link's arm reluctantly, narrowing his eyes. "No… No, of course not. Your word is law. I'm sure… I'm sure you're… right. I'll just… I'll see him to the door then, shall I?"

Zelda nodded impassively. Groose took hold of Link's shoulder and began pulling away. Before he left the throne room, Link risked one final glance at Zelda. The girl sat on her throne, a strangely apologetic look on her beautiful face. Her lips moved silently, but Link could not make out her words.

* * *

**Well, here it is: my second chapter. Thanks for reading! And special thanks to those of you who gave me such glowing reviews on the first bit-you beautiful people kept me writing even when my inspiration started to flag and die.**

**Anyway, I'm not going to worry about posting the next section until I get a couple reviews or comments or whatever on this bit. Exams are a thing, unfortunately, and there's no reason to stress about adding length to this if no one's anxious about it. I will update around next month at the latest, though. Sooner, if I get hit with inspiration or get enough comments.**

**I can't wait until school is out. Then I'm gonna spend all summer writing... That's gonna be nice... *sigh***

**Well, I should probably wrap this up. Thanks again for reading! I hope you enjoyed this chapter, and I hope you have a wonderful day!**

**~Garsson**


	3. Exit the Castle

The moment the throne room doors slammed shut, Groose slammed Link against the wall. "I don't know what scam you think you're pulling, smuggler. Her Highness might be too naive to see it, but I know: you're nothing but a liar."

"What's the matter?" Link managed, keeping his voice strong and confident as he met Groose's angry yellow eyes. "You can't believe that Zelda's seen good in me?"

Groose snarled. "You will refer to her as Princess Zelda, her Highness, or some variation thereupon. A common Guay like you will never be first name terms with the princess. You hear me?"

"You're going to eat those words, one of these days." Link said, narrowing his eyes.

"Excuse me?" Groose's voice dropped dangerously low.

"You heard me. One of these days, you're going to take that back. Today, however, you're going to give me back my things, and then you're going to let me go. By order of _Princess _Zelda."

Groose growled audibly. "Fine. Today, I will. But if I see you here again 'Link,' or 'Madas,' or whatever your name is—you'll wish you'd died before you were born. You got that?"

Link rolled his eyes. He couldn't help himself. "You know, Groose, your face kinda makes me wish that already. Can we get on with this, now? I don't know about you, but I've got places to be."

Groose sneered, but he released Link. Predictably, the man fixed his hair, smoothing down the nonexistent flyaways. It seemed to soothe him. "The only place you're headed is the graveyard. Zelda might have forgiven you once, but it won't happen again. You're not that special. Do you understand that? You're. Not. Special."

Link bit his tongue, but he couldn't keep from commenting. "Yes sir, Captain Groose. Of course not. I'm just a thieving Guay. Now can you _please_ return to me my belongings? I'm starting to miss them. I mean, imagine how you would feel if someone confiscated your hair gel?"

Groose's face turned as red as his hair. For a moment, Link was certain Groose was about to murder him.

"Say that again," the man breathed, stepping closer, "insult my hair one more time—I dare you."

Link sighed, his good sense reappearing in the back of his mind to chastise him. "I'm sorry if I touched a nerve, Captain. I take it back. Your hair is marvelous."

"And don't you forget it." If Groose detected Link's sarcasm, he didn't show it. The guard standing to the right of the throne room door, however, couldn't suppress a quiet snicker. Link hadn't noticed him before. Groose had been standing in the way.

"Officer Perrino! Mind your duty!" Groose whirled around and barked at the man. The unfortunate guard stiffened, whipping off a smart salute. Link took the opportunity to slink down the hall, putting some distance between himself and the Captain.

He didn't get far before Groose finished yelling at the guard and turned around to shout at Link again. "Where're you sneaking off to? I'm not letting your sorry skin outta my sight until you're out of the castle!"

Link froze, praying for patience as Groose caught up with him and roughly seized his arm. He manged to hold his silence as he was dragged down the marble stairs, he kept his cool as he was marched down the long, winding hallways, and he somehow managed to remain calm as his gear was roughly pushed back at him by an indifferent castle guard. Link simply belted his sword back on without a word.

When Groose flung open the huge double doors to Hyrule Castle and shoved Link down the front steps, Link simply turned his fall into a roll and kept walking as if nothing had happened. He wouldn't give the Captain the satisfaction of a scream. It wasn't until he was safely out of sight in the castle garden that Link turned around and punched a tree.

He swore vehemently and shook his aching hand, wishing the unforgiving bark had been Groose's smug face. What was that guy's problem, anyway? Justice was one thing, but this—

A tiny tinkling sound distracted Link from his aggravation. Navi flew down from the sky, whirling around him twice before floating up to bob around Link's face.

"Hey! There you are! What are you doing over here, Link?"

Link groaned. He thought the fairy had been left in the throne room. "What do you think I'm doing, Navi, having a party? What does it look like?"

Though he couldn't see through her obscuring aura, Link got the impression that Navi shrugged. "I don't know. It looks like you're goofing off, but I know that can't be right. You're Zelda's chosen hero!"

"Her hero? I think you've got this wrong. Captain Groose is her hero—I'm her convenient expendable errand boy."

Navi laughed. "If that's what you think, Link, you're free to think it. But you should probably start moving anyway—the sooner you finish the job, the sooner you can get your freedom back. Remember?"

"Of course I remember," Link snapped, running a hand down his face, "it was only five minutes ago. Please, Navi, just get back in the bracelet. I've had a long day."

Navi giggled again, but she obliged, returning to the blue-glass stone. Link heaved a relieved sigh and let his shoulders fall.

He closed his eyes for a long moment, allowing himself to relax. The weather was fine, the sky was clear, and he was alive. That's what mattered. He was alive, and the sooner he found Malon, the sooner this whole mess could be over.

Wondering vaguely how he would explain this mess to his copilot, Link turned his back to the castle and entered town.

* * *

**Thanks for reading this third bit! Sorry it's so short compared to the others-I had two separate research papers to work on this week, and I didn't have all that much time to get anything done.**

**But, I figured something was better than nothing, and after all the nice things you guys said in the comments, I wanted to make sure I was able to give you something in return! Thanks for keeping me motivated! I genuinely appreciate it. You guys are what keeps me writing.**

**On a separate note: I'm considering changing the cover image for this story... I like the one I have, but I feel like it doesn't... _pop_ the way it should. What do you think? Should I try drawing a new one? I know it really doesn't matter, but I can't decide.**

**Well, one way or the other, I'll post my next bit by the end of the month-or as soon as I have five new comments or so. I guess I'll see you then!**

**Thanks for everything!**

**~Garsson**


	4. A Fool and His Money

Castle Town was, as usual, bustling. Merchants stood at their stalls, hawking their wares, and the square was full of people out shopping and strolling and generally going about their day. Soldiers paced around the streets, women gossiped by the fountain, children ran and played and dodged between the people, cheerfully getting underfoot. In one corner of the square, a small troop of musicians played a catchy tune while a pair of lovers spun in circles around each other, and in the other corner, an old man sat and sipped his tea, sharing his stories of the war with anyone who would listen.

Link only stopped by Castle Town every now and again—when a shipment needed to be picked up or delivered, or when the _Epona_ needed restocking—but still, the place felt like home. It was so full of life—Link couldn't help but smile.

That is, until some kid stole his wallet.

One moment, Link was walking along through the crowd of people, minding his own business, and the next—some little blonde brat half his size barreled into him, and his wallet was gone. Link almost didn't see the kid dart across the square into the alley, she was so fast.

Insult to injury, a little bell chimed in his bracelet.

"Hey! Listen! I think someone just stole you wallet, Link!"

"No, really?" Link snapped, already running.

He pushed through the crowd, tripping over the musicians and falling between the lovebirds just in time to see the thief climb up a pile of crates onto the rooftops. Hardly pausing, Link yanked the hookshot from his belt and fired it up at the roof.

The metal claw clanged uselessly against the ungrabbable tile. Link swore, aiming again more carefully. This time, the claw sunk into a wooden beam. Link braced himself—and was jerked from his feet.

He pulled himself onto the roof—just in time to see the blonde girl hop onto the next roof over and climb down the other side of the building. Link didn't stop to think. He just ran—and jumped.

The thought that this might've not been the best idea hit him just before the ground did.

The impact hurt, knocking the wind from his lungs, but Link rolled and popped up in just the right spot to put the little blonde girl into a light headlock.

"Aryll, what have I told you about stealing?"

The girl twisted around to look at him, her big blue eyes wide and innocent. "Aw, but Big Brother—you make it so easy!"

"Aryll, hand it over. "Link released his sister and looked her in the eye, attempting to appear stern.

"But I stole it fair and square!" She hid the wallet behind her back, unsuccessfully hiding her smile behind a pout.

"Well, you'd better give it back, otherwise I might just have to—_take it from you!__" _Link laughed and pounced, sweeping Aryll up into his arms and spinning her around in wide circles, just as he did every time he came home from a long trip.

She screamed and giggled, failing to notice Link slip his hand into her pocket.

When he set her down, she tottered in a tiny, dizzy circle, laughing breathlessly. "Do that again!"

Link shook his head and smiled, jingling his wallet over his sister's head. "Nah, no thanks. I got what I wanted."

Aryll's mouth fell open. "You—oh, no fair, Link! You're bigger than me!"

Link pocketed his wallet, affectionately ruffling her hair. "Yes I am. You're cuter than me, though, so I think it evens out."

"Well," Aryll replied, straightening her yellow pigtails, "when I'm grown up, I'll be big and I'll be cute—so I'll get to go on all cool the adventures, and you'll have to stay home and be good!"

Link laughed, pulling his sister into a hug. "Yes, I'm sure that's exactly what'll happen. But first you have to stop stealing, okay?"

Aryll squirmed out of the hug and fixed her little blue dress in a display of affronted dignity. "Mido thinks I'm old enough to start pulling my weight. He says you were my age when you started working jobs."

"I was ten when I started. You're not even nine, yet. That's a big difference."

"Not that big. Come on, Big Brother, I wanna help, too!"

"I still don't want you stealing. You could get in trouble—what would I do if you got yourself hurt? No, if you wanna help, you should ask Saria to teach you about medicine. You could be like mom and make potions—make money helping people everywhere without breaking any laws."

"But that's so boring!" Aryll complained, "I don't wanna be a potion maker—I wanna be like you and Malon and have adventures! Flying in the sky, fighting monsters—I wanna go with you!"

"Adventures aren't as fun to have as they are to talk about, Sis. They're dangerous and scary, and if you came, I'd be afraid I wouldn't be able to protect you."

Aryll nodded solemnly. "I know—but you wouldn't have to protect me—I can protect myself, and I'd help protect you, too! We'd fight off all the bad guys together, and I'd never have to wonder if you're gonna come back!"

Link smiled, even as guilt sank its needle-sharp teeth into his heart. "Aryll, I always come back, and I always will. That's why I need you to stay home in the forest—if you're gone, what am I coming back to?"

Aryll pouted, but she let the matter drop. "What are you doing back here so soon, anyway? Mido said you were out on an important mission. He told me you would be away for months, but it's only been a few days so far."

"I… er—something came up. As soon as I can find Malon, I'll be getting back to things. We just had to… we got delayed. I had to run an errand."

Aryll cocked her head to one side, curious. "What kind of errand?"

"The errand kind of errand."

"Link, that doesn't make sense."

Link shrugged. "I know."

"So aren't you gonna explain?"

"No, not right now."

"Meanie." Aryll stuck out her tongue.

Link clapped his hands to the sides of his face in the fakest shock he could muster. "Gasp. How dare you. I'm so insulted. Ow."

Aryll rolled her eyes and tried not to giggle. "Big Brother, you're not gonna get out of answering my questions like that."

"Yes I am. But that's not important. Aryll, would you like to play a game?"

Aryll crossed her arms over her chest. "You're just trying to change the subject. …What kind of game?"

Link grinned. "A racing kind of game. Whoever finds Malon first gets twenty Rupees, deal?"

Aryll's eyes glittered. "Oh, that's easy!"

"Is it now?"

"Yeah! You just wait and see!"

Link chuckled. "Alright then. So—you ready? On the count of three, we'll start."

Aryll nodded, smiling innocently. "Okay, Big Brother!"

Link took a deep breath and began slowly. "One… Two… Thre—"

Aryll was off like a shot, dashing down the cobbled streets. It was all Link could do not to lose sight of her as she ducked around corners and dashed through narrow alleyways he could barely fit through sideways. He followed her up vine-covered walls, down sloping, red-tiled roofs, and through what felt like every district in the city before finally, the girl stopped for breath outside a squat, sturdy building made of rough-hewn stone. A large wooden sign attached to the roof proclaimed the building as Castle Town's one and only Milk Bar.

Aryll sat down on the ground, grinning widely. "Wow, Big Brother—you're pretty fast! But I still win, right?"

Link leaned against the wall, hiding his heavy breathing under a mask of nonchalance. "I dunno—is Malon in there?"

Aryll nodded. "I saw her go in here a while ago! I didn't think it was her at first, because she left with you, but if you're here too, then there's no one else it could have been!"

Link leaned forward and peered into the murky window. Sure enough, he could just make out a figure with long red hair and a yellow bandanna sitting at the bar. He grinned ruefully and drew a crimson-colored Rupee from his pocket. "Thanks, Aryll, you've been a lot of help." He flipped the money at his sister. She caught it easily.

"Does this mean you're leaving again, Big Brother?" She looked so sad, even as she pocketed her winnings.

Link pulled his sister into a hug. "Yeah, I'm afraid so. But I'll be back soon, okay? Don't worry about me. You just get yourself back to the forest and worry about being good."

Aryll sighed. "Okay… I'll be good. Just don't take too long! It's boring in the woods when you're away."

Link chuckled. "I know, I'm sorry. Maybe someday, I won't have to leave you alone quite so often. But until then… I'll bring you a present when I come back, alright? A nice one. Just so long as you're good."

"Alright… I'll be good…" Aryll nodded, rubbing dampness from her eyes.

Link gave his best comforting smile. "Cheer up, Aryll. I'll be back, knocking on the door before you know it." He brushed a stray strand of hair from her face. "You just wait and see."

"Okay." Aryll nodded, managing a tiny smile. Link gave her one last squeeze before he let her go.

"I'll see you later, Aryll."

"See you, Big Brother."

And then she was gone—vanished into the crowd even as Link waved goodbye.

Navi jingled quietly in his wrist. "That was your sister?"

"Yep." Link nodded, glancing around to ensure no one was watching him talk to himself. "That's her."

"And who's this Malon we're meeting?"

"My copilot." Link turned as he spoke, pushing open the doors to the Milk Bar. "It's about time I told her I'm not dead."

* * *

**Well, here I am. I took my last exam yesterday, I had my birthday last Saturday, so now I stand before you all again, free of distraction. Thanks for reading, and thanks again to you few who review-I can't begin to say how much I appreciate the feedback. **

**I also went ahead and drew a new cover image-I needed a colorful project to keep myself sane during the exam stress. What do you think? Yea? Nay? Thoughts are welcome.**

**Also... Hm... I wonder... is it better to write longer chapters infrequently? Or come out with a shorter scene- a fraction of a chapter every week or so..? Do I even want to commit to a time schedule...? Ah, whatever. I have all summer to figure that out. If you have a strong opinion, I'd love to hear it, but if not, you can be confident that I'll probably update eventually.**

**Anyway, thanks again, and I suppose I'll see you guys again next week/month/time I get enough feedback to motivate myself. Until then, fare well!**

**~Garsson**


	5. Prepare for the Worst

It was cold inside the Milk Bar. Cold and dimly lit, yet strangely, somehow cheerful. Giant ship's wheels hung on the walls, and elaborate nets strung with broken fragments of colored glass dangled from the ceiling, casting odd shadows on the stone floor and throwing shifting patches of rainbow light around the room.

Hardly anyone was drinking, at this hour. Aside from the barkeeper and the pair of quiet old men playing checkers in the corner, Malon was the only one in the place.

She sat at the bar with her head propped up on her hand, nursing a glass of Premium Lon-Lon Milk. Link remembered her saying once that the stuff reminded her of home. She only ever seemed to drink it when she was upset.

"Malon?" Link cleared his throat awkwardly and sat down at the bar beside her.

She glanced up. "Link..? Link! You're okay!" She flung her arms around him in a tight hug, nearly knocking him to the ground. "I was sure the next time I saw you, you'd be dangling from the end of a rope! What happened? How did you—?"

Link chuckled. "I told you I'd get out okay—I promised, remember? Am I not a man of my word?"

Malon laughed and pushed Link away, relief shining out of her grin. "You're an idiot, that's what you are! You really had me worried! Don't let it happen again, alright?"

"Trust me," Link said as he ordered a glass of milk for himself, "I don't plan to. Neckties aren't really my style, you know. And anyway, rope makes me itch."

Malon shook her head slowly, hiding her chuckle. "An itch shouldn't be your biggest worry, Featherbrain. I really was worried about you, Goddesses know why. How did you manage it, anyway?"

"Manage what?" Link asked, innocently sipping his milk as his brain scrambled for a convincing cover story.

"You know very well what, Link! How'd you escape? How'd you get back here? How'd you avoid having to hang by the neck 'til dead? I have to know—you owe me that much."

Link shrugged, taking another sip of his milk. "Oh, you know, I basically just groveled for the princess and convinced her that I wasn't worth the cost of the rope it'd take to hang me. The Gerudo made me do it— and so on. She bought it, made me promise not to do it again, and I got out of there soon as I could." He hated lying to Malon, but with Navi watching his every move, he didn't dare disobey Zelda's command to secrecy.

Malon's eyebrows shot up skeptically. "It was that easy?"

"Who said it was easy?" Link laughed, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, "It might sound simple to explain, but I don't think I've ever had a harder time convincing anyone of anything!"

"Well," Malon shrugged, "at least you pulled it off. You're alive, and that's gotta count for something, even if we did lose a whole ore shipment. I was dreading having to go home and explain that without you."

"Actually, about that…"

"What?"

Link cleared his throat and lowered his voice. "We might not have to go home empty handed after all. I think I've found a deal of my own. It's all a bit hush-hush, but if we can make it through to Death Mountain—I might just be able to work things out. Mido never has to find out about our little mishap."

"You're kidding me."

"Nope." Link shook his head and grinned. "Why, do I look like a kidder?"

Malon rolled her eyes and gave Link a light, playful shove. "You look like an idiot, that's what. Wipe that stupid smirk off your face and tell me what's _really _going on. You stick your neck out and get dragged off in chains—only to come back walking free with a new gig? That's a bit much, even for you, 'Mister Madas.' What aren't you telling me?"

"Really, that's all there is to it," Link lied, shrugging nonchalantly, "I begged, I pleaded, I groveled, and then I happened to get lucky on the way back here. That's it. End of story. So what do you say? Do you trust me?"

Malon gave Link a long, hard look, before sighing and shaking her head slowly from side to side. "Link, you know I trust you. I trust you with my life, but I just can't believe you. There's more to this—and you will tell me the whole story, sooner or later. Alright?"

Link shrugged again, laughing off Malon's skepticism. "Alright, alright. You're free to believe whatever you want, Malon. I doubt my story'll change much, though. The truth is the truth."

Malon rolled her eyes. "Of course it is. Fine—keep your secrets, if it makes you happy. Just tell me: what exactly has us going to Death Mountain? I hope you're not flying us out there just because you heard some half-baked rumor about a Rupee mine or something."

"No, no, nothing like that, Malon—I swear this is completely valid. I heard in the Castle that the Gorons have…" Link trailed off and glanced furtively around the Milk Bar. The barkeeper was minding his own business, and the old men in the corner seemed quite absorbed in their game, but one could never tell. "Actually, I'll tell you later. When we're back on the ship."

"This really that classified?" Malon asked, quirking an eyebrow, "I mean, it's a little late for paranoia, isn't it? We've only been shouting out our names and professions to everyone within earshot."

Link chuckled. "It's never too late for paranoia! A healthy dose of caution keeps our hearts beating, you know. So what if we could have started earlier? Doesn't mean we can't start now."

Malon rolled her eyes again, and Link laughed. He knew his friend's exasperation was just a cover for her relief.

"Don't worry, don't worry—I'll tell you as soon as I can. I promise."

"I'll hold you to that, Link," Malon said sternly, "there's no way I'm going to fly all the way out to Death Mountain—Death freakin' Mountain—without knowing why I'm going. Not even for you."

Link chuckled and finished the last of his milk. "I wouldn't expect you to, don't worry."

Malon drained her glass as well and stood up from her seat at the bar. "Good. So. Now that that's all sorted out, what do you say we hit the skies? I want to hear about this mission, and the sooner we get going, the sooner we can make up for lost time. You don't need to do anything else in town, do you?"

Link shook his head. "Nope. Let's fly."

* * *

The wind sang cheerfully through _Epona_'s sails, washing Link in the clean scent of Hyrule Field's open sky. The air was blue and clear, and the bright sunlight gleamed from _Epona__'_s polished deck. Link allowed himself a moment to savor his freedom, before giving the ship's wheel a gentle turn and glancing back over his shoulder at Castle Town. Though the castle itself was fading into the hazy distance, Link still saw Princess Zelda's soft blue eyes staring out from his memory, and still felt the chains of obligation clenched around his neck.

_Or, more accurately, around my wrist__…_ Link thought as the gossip stone on his arm chimed gently and Navi emerged, her blue aura shimmering and sparking like a tiny sun.

"Hey! Link, what are you going to tell her?"

"What do you mean?" Link asked, pretending to be focused on steering. Maybe if he played dumb, he could stall this conversation long enough to avoid it completely.

"Listen, Link, we don't have time for this! Any minute now, Malon will finish checking the gages or whatever it is she's doing below decks, and you'll have to explain everything to her!"

Link sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "First off, she's not 'checking the gages,' she's recalibrating the engine to account for the fact that our ship changed weight when your guards stole our ore. Second off… the _Epona_ is Malon's ship. It belongs to her—she deserves to know what we're doing and why."

Navi jingled disapprovingly. "But Link—Princess Zelda said this mission has to be a secret! You can't tell Malon—you'd be disobeying a direct order from the highest authority in the kingdom!"

"Navi, you realize you're talking to a man who makes his living by ignoring the law and flouting authority, right? I'm not too concerned. Zelda hired me 'cause of my honest heart, remember? Honest heart. I can't lie to my closest friend—not for much longer. She and I have to watch each other's backs out here—and anyway, she knows me well enough that she can call out all my lies."

"What lies am I calling out, Link?" Malon's voice was close behind, and far from pleased. Navi gave a tiny startled chime and zoomed back to her stone as Link whirled around to face his copilot.

"Malon! I—uh… I… What do you mean?" Stalling was the only tactic left in Link's strolled up to lean on the mast in front of Link, her arms crossed over her chest."Oh, don't try that stuff with me. I heard you plain as day. Why were you talking to yourself? Has the sun already fried that Cuckoo brain of yours? I want answers, Link. Real answers. And now that we're out of the bar where people can hear us, I see no reason for you not to give them to me."

Link glanced down at the Gossip Stone Bracelet, then took a deep breath and made eye contact with Malon. "You might not see it, but I do have a pretty good reason, Malon. I… I'm not allowed to tell you anything. Does that make any sense?"

"No, Link, it doesn't." Her tone was somewhere between irritation and concern. "I don't see. Did something happen? What do you mean you're not allowed to say?"

"I mean I'm allowed to lie to you, but I'm not allowed to tell you anything real about why we're going where we're going." The words stung in Link's mouth, but he had to say them.

"Who's stopping you? Link, I don't understand." Malon's concern overtook her irritation. Link could see the worry on her face.

He gave the wheel another small turn. The breeze was coming from the north—the perfect tailwind to get them to Death Mountain quickly. "I don't think I'm allowed to tell you that, either."

"You're not—Link, tell me: there's nobody here but us, right? If you tell me what's going on, nobody else has to know. Or am I wrong?"

Link held his silence and steadied the wheel. He trusted her to understand.

"I see…" She nodded to herself, brushing her long red hair out of her face. "So you really can't tell me… But I can guess, and you don't have to say a word. Then your spy can't say you violated your orders, I'll have found out on my own."

Link nodded slightly, cracking a slight grin. This was exactly what he'd hoped for. "Malon, have I ever told you you're great?"

Malon chuckled. "Not often enough, you big lunk. Now let me see… Something happened. Something happened between this morning and now, which means it happened at the castle… It had to be at the castle. It was the castle, wasn't it? Don't say anything if I'm right."

Link said nothing.

"Okay then. So it happened at the castle—somebody gave you orders, and you're not allowed… what am I saying you're not allowed—that never stopped you before. Which means this is bad. Somebody gave you orders, and you don't dare to disobey. Which means whoever they are—they're powerful. Are they holding something against you, Link?"

That got a laugh. "Against me? Oh, yes, there's that whole dark and shady past that I'd hate if people knew. You know—nothing at all like my dark and shady present. Nah—the only thing there is to threaten is my life."

"That makes sense," Malon chuckled, "I guess I'd listen too, with that on the line. So somebody threatened to kill you—someone powerful enough that you can't just run from them—unless you sail to Death Mountain and… do what? You mentioned something about Gorons?"

"I think that's classified."

"Fair enough." Malon paused to gaze over the ship's rail to Hyrule Field down below. Link followed her gaze. A herd of horses galloped down below the _Epona_, running this way and that as the ship's shadow passed over them. Link cleared his throat. Malon snapped back to the present.

"What was I saying?"

"You trailed off. I think you were about to try and figure out who hired me?" Link prompted.

"Oh, right. Sure. At the Castle. Yeah. Was it a guard?"

"As if. You think I'm scared of some puffed up pansy in a shiny shirt?"

Malon sighed, fixing her hair again. The wind seemed to be picking up. "Link, those 'puffed up pansies' nearly had you hanged."

"No, it was the princess who nearly had me hanged—not the guards," Link corrected, brushing his own hair out of his eyes, "The guards only wanted to hang me—they don't have the legal power to actually follow through."

Malon rolled her eyes. "Oh, because that's such a—wait… Are you saying you met with Princess Zelda?"

Link had to stop himself from grinning. "I'm not saying anything."

"No! You didn't! Really? Was she as pretty as they say?"

Link felt his face heat up as he remembered the princess' soft smile and graceful curves. Her deep, intense blue eyes still lingered in his thoughts, staring into his soul. Link avoided Malon's gaze, instead choosing to stare at the darkening southern skies as he replied offhandedly, "I didn't really notice her looks. I was too focused on not ending my life on the end of a rope."

Malon's eyebrow shot up, and her mouth picked up just the faintest hint of a grin. "Are you sure, Link? Because I've seen you face death before, and it's never turned your face quite that shade of pink."

"Malon, I'm positive. The Princess had no effect on me whatsoever."

Malon allowed her grin to grow. "I see. Well, I have to say, the whole situation makes a lot more sense, now. You and that Groose are both the same: neither of you can say no to a pretty face, can you?"

"Yes, I—I mean, no, you're—Malon, you know I'm nothing like that idiot!" The wind gusted. The air smelled oddly metallic.

Malon laughed. "Ooh, getting flustered, are we? She really has you wrapped around her finger, Link! Is it love?"

Link tried to swallow his exasperation. The sky ahead was getting uncomfortably black. "Wait, Malon, I think—"

"Oh, don't try and change the subject, Link! Did she promise to give you a kiss if you saved the day?"

"No, really, I think you should—"

"Or maybe if you're good and do exactly as she says, she'll bake you a big cake to celebrate!"

"Malon! Please—I know you're getting a kick out of my discomfort—but shut up! Look at the sky!"

His tone caught her attention. Malon turned, and her smile died on her face. As if on cue, a gigantic bolt of lightning flickered through the sky ahead, lighting up the multi-tiered clouds. A few moments later, a monstrous crash of thunder split the air. Link and Malon both flinched at the noise.

"Link, give me the wheel. You handle the sails. I don't think the Din-cursed tailwind'll let us dodge this." A cold rain began to patter against _Epona_'s upper deck, washing all traces of humor from Malon's face.

Link didn't waste time responding. He left the wheel, grabbed the hookshot from his belt and fixed it firmly to the mast, where it would serve as his lifeline. If he lost his grip in the rigging, it would save him from a long drop down to earth, and he could use it to pull himself back to the deck.

He grabbed hold of the rope netting and began to climb the mast. The ship rocked. The wind roared. The rain pounded. His fingers were numb. The ropes were slick and covered in ice. Link ignored it all and furled the sails, tying them securely in place so the wind couldn't snag and pull at them.

Lightning crashed. Something blue flashed through the sky. Thunder roared. At least, Link hoped it was the thunder. For a moment, he thought he saw teeth…

Something large smashed into _Epona_, sending the ship spinning through the sky. The mast creaked. Link clung to the ropes and whispered a prayer as he pulled he final knot tight. The world spun and tilted violently. The wind tried to pluck Link from his perch. Thunder roared again, accompanied by a bright yellow flash. Link was blind—his head ached and spun with the world. His stomach heaved. He tasted bile. Lightning strobed. Rain pelted Link from every possible angle. Tiny hailstones joined the mix, biting and stinging Link's exposed skin.

He climbed down carefully—his life depended on it. Something smacked into the side of the _Epona_ again. The ship jolted, yanking the ropes from Link's hands. He fell the last few feet, sliding along the deck as the ship tipped sideways. Malon shouted something. Her voice was lost in the roaring thunder. Something hit the ship a third time. _Epona_ tilted further, threatening to roll.

Link grabbed the railing and pulled himself to his feet. His face and hands burned from the cold. "Malon! I'm going to check the engine!" he shouted. Malon didn't seem to hear. She fought the wheel like a woman possessed, gritting her teeth and keeping the ship upright despite the storm.

Link pried open the trapdoor, released himself from the hookshot, and slid below decks, away from the wind and the hail. He could still hear the storm screaming and battering at _Epona_'s sides.

He dashed down the narrow hallway, crashing into walls as the ship careened back and forth with the gale. A lantern fell from the ceiling, shattering into flames on the floor beside him. Link bit back a curse and yanked open the door to the engine room, trusting the fire to go out on its own.

Inside, the enormous piece of equipment steamed, gasping and groaning like a living animal. The large dial on the front showed a thin needle bobbing desperately along a green-to-red gradient, while another needle flicked between a series of small blue numbers. Link watched. The first needle slipped further into red. The second needle dropped three numbers.

Link swore and began pulling levers and pushing buttons. Something crashed into the ship again. Link was thrown into the starboard wall. He felt something snap in his shoulder. The engine sighed and coughed. Both needles dipped further down. Link's stomach flipped, and his ears popped. The _Epona_ was starting to fall.

Cursing and pleading with the goddesses in turn, Link smacked at the Gossip Stone Bracelet. "Navi! Get out here!"

Navi emerged. Her blue aura wavered, dimmer than usual. Her customary jungle was muted. "Link, listen! Something's wrong—I think we're going to crash!"

"Navi—you're the last person aboard this ship to reach that conclusion. Now don't talk—we don't have time. You can fly—you might be able to get out of here alive. Take a message to Zelda. Tell her… Tell her I'm sorry. I couldn't do it. Fate had other plans for me."

"No!" Navi's light grew brighter as she bobbed in the air, whirling over Link's head. "I'm not going to leave you, Link! I'm supposed to look out for you! I can't go! I can't let you die!"

Link chuckled, then winced as the bones in his shoulder ground together. "You're not so bad, fairy. But you have to—"

The engine failed. The _Epona _entered freefall. Link closed his eyes. The ship slammed into the earth.

High above, thunder roared triumphantly.

* * *

**Well, here I am, back again. Thanks to everyone who reviewed-especially for sharing your opinions on timing the posts and such. It's really nice to know what you guys think, and what you prefer. I've decided to try sticking to a by-the-month schedule, so I guess I'll be posting on the last friday of every month unless I get particularly inspired and... okay, so yeah, what am I saying... schedules? Whatever. I'll do what I do. Months. Weeks? Fridays. Expect me on Fridays.  
**

**Anyway, special thanks to my pal Nyxeradragon2595 for proofreading these chapters, and my other pal Moana for beta reading this stuff, and for helping me figure out how broken shoulders work. I appreciate it guys-this would take a heck of a lot longer if you weren't here helping me. **

**Anyway, yeah. Thanks for reading this bit- I'm halfway done with the next chapter, so hopefully that'll be up soon. **

**Thanks again, I hope you enjoyed it, and... um... Oh, right! Please review! I know it probably sounds pretty cheap, but your comments keep me writing. At least, they keep me writing this, and not those millions of other projects that are also floating around in my brain. So yeah.**

**I'll see you all again sometime soon!**

**~Garsson**


	6. Soup and Sleep

Malon was the first thing Link saw when he opened his eyes. Her large blue eyes were wide and worried, and her vibrant red hair was plastered to her head from the rain. Link managed a tiny, confused groan. Malon cracked a wide, relieved smile.

"Oh, Link," she cried joyfully, planting a sudden kiss on his forehead, "you're alive! That's twice in one day I've had to think you'd left me forever, you idiot! You can't do this to me!"

"Wha…?" Link croaked, glancing around. He was in a shallow cave on the face of a mountain, barely protected from the slowly dying storm. His whole body ached—especially his right shoulder. He tried to push himself up, but Malon made him stay down.

"No, take it easy. You're all bruised up, and I think you might've broken something when the ship fell."

Link took a moment to process this."The ship… How's _Epona?__"_

Malon sighed, then cast a glance over her shoulder at what Link could only assume was the wreckage. "Well… she's seen better days, but all things considered, she's not as bad as she could be. Her hull's battered, and her engine needs serious retuning, but if I can get the parts I need… I think she'll fly again."

"You're kidding me."

Malon smiled and shook her head. "Nope. _Epona_ made it out alright, and I'm hardly bruised… Really, Link, you're the only one to sustain any real damage."

Link groaned, laughing even as his shoulder stabbed at him. "Just my luck, eh? I swear, trouble loves me."

"Yup," Malon chuckled, pushing a strand of Link's hair out of his face. "That's why I keep you around, you know. You get all the bad luck so nobody else has to deal with it. Like a lightning rod."

"Yeah, that's me. Just don't tell the actual lightning. I don't want it getting any ideas."

Malon nodded absentmindedly, giving the ship another glance. "So. Well, the good news is that the ship can be repaired, we're all alive, and enough of our food survived that we should be able to last up here a while without too much trouble. The bad news… Well… We didn't quite make it to Death Mountain, Link. We hit the peak next door. We don't have the parts to patch up _Epona_, you're injured, and because of your secret mission, no one knows we're out here, so no one will ever think to come looking. I'll admit, things have been better…"

Link paused a moment and took stock of his surroundings. The cave was small and bare, but dry. The downpour of rain outside had slowed to a drizzle, and night seemed to be on its way. Somewhere in the distance, a Wolfos howled. "We'll figure it out somehow, Malon. Don't worry. You and me—have we ever let anything stop us before?"

Malon shook her head, her grin slowly returning. "Never."

"That's right. We won't let this stop us, either. You said the engine needs retuning… How long should that take?"

"I don't know. My guess is about a week or two—maybe more."

"Right. Well, with my shoulder the way it is, I'm not much help with that anyway, so here's what we'll do: we'll split the food up. I'll go find the Gorons, get help, and take care of business. You'll stay here and fix what you can without me, and then if we can get them to give us the parts we need..."

"Yeah—no. I didn't lose you twice today just to have you go wandering off on me with a busted shoulder."

"Malon—do you have a better plan?"

"Well… No, but I'm sure we can think of something that doesn't involve splitting up on a mountain named Death—especially with you hurt. Nothing about this plan sounds like a good idea."

"I see your point—but do you really think our food will last long enough to do everything consecutively? The sooner we get this finished, the sooner we can resupply and get back home. Unless you intend to leave _Epona_ and come with me—"

"I am not leaving her alone in this shape. No way, no how. If I can't wake up her engine soon, it might go out for good."

Link nodded. "That's what I thought. But it's her or me, Malon. And I wouldn't offer to go alone if I didn't think I'd be okay."

Malon hesitated, but after a moment, she nodded as well. "Fine. But you're not leaving yet—you're not going anywhere until I've seen that you've rested a day or two. You got that?"

Link rolled his eyes. "Yes, Mother. I understand."

"Good," Malon teased, "And don't forget to eat your vegetables and drink plenty of milk."

"Yeah, yeah, sure. Milk. Gotcha." Link laughed, giving his right arm an experimental twitch. Pain spiked in his shoulder. He tried not to wince.

Malon wasn't fooled. "Are you okay, Link? No—wait, that's a stupid question. Here's a better one: how many hearts?"

Link forced himself to grin. The heart scale was an invention of Saria's—as a doctor, she'd needed a way to help the children express their pain. The better you felt, the more hearts you had. "Well, let's see… Out of six, I'd say I'm somewhere in the realm of two and a half, all things considered."

Malon gave a low whistle. "That bad? Yeah, there's no way you're going anywhere, yet. Give me a minute—I'll see if we don't have any of Saria's potions stocked."

Without waiting for an answer, Malon left the cave and returned to the ship. Link gritted his teeth and closed his eyes, taking a moment to privately accept his pain.

Twenty long minutes later, Malon returned, a lantern in one hand, a small bag with some bandages and a bottle full of strange red liquid in the other. Link opened his eyes and instantly summoned his best carefree smile. "So—I take it you had some luck, then?"

"Some, yes," Malon agreed, grimacing as she sat back down at Link's side, "but not too much. A fire must've broken out during the crash—I didn't notice before, because our food was okay and I had a lot of other things to think about, but it looks like most of our medical supplies got either burned or smashed. I salvaged what I could, but… We only have this one bottle of painkiller, and these few bandages. I'll patch you up as best I can, but you'll have to make the potion last."

Link nodded. "I can do that. I'll see it gets me at least to the Gorons."

"Good. Because honestly, I don't care if that Zelda is a princess or not, and I don't care if she threatens you with fire and promises you the world: I'm not letting you go out and die for her. Do you understand? No matter what it is she wants you to do, your first and foremost job is to come back to me in one piece. After all, much as I love this ship, _Epona_ needs two pilots to get off the ground." Though her tone was light, Malon's expression was grave. She tucked a strand of her scarlet hair behind her ear, and Link noticed how she pointedly avoided looking at his wounded shoulder.

Link laughed, as if he could smile at the world and fix everything. "Watch out, Malon! If you aren't careful, I might start to think you're genuinely worried about me!"

Malon rolled her eyes, chuckling even as she shook her head. "That's because I am worried about you, featherbrain. You're a reckless idiot, and I swear you have me going gray already, what with your stupid stunts and secret missions. One of these days, I'm going to turn around, and you'll have found a way to drown in a healing spring or something stupid like that, and then what'll I do?"

"Find a new copilot, I imagine," Link replied, giving Malon his most innocent grin.

She sighed and shook her head. "And have to deal with training up some half-wit ground dweller who doesn't know the difference between a galley and a galleon? No thanks. I'd rather not have to bury you just yet. Now—you're gonna have to sit up, okay? We need to try and… er… immobilize your shoulder, I think. That's what Saria would do, right?"

"Not sure," Link said, gritting his teeth as he pushed himself up, "but that sounds about right."

Malon nodded, biting her lip as she helped Link into a seated position. "Alright. I'm gonna do my best. Just don't blame me if it doesn't hold up, okay?"

"I wouldn't dream of it. After all, I'm the one who insists on going like this. Anything that goes wrong is my fault entirely."

"And don't think I'm gonna let you forget it," Malon said as she carefully wrapped Link's shoulder, immobilizing his arm against his body.

Link sat as still as he could, wincing occasionally when the pain was too much for him to ignore. He sat quietly for a few moments while Malon bandaged him, until the silence became too much to bear.

Link turned his head and peered out at the sullen gray sky. "How long do you think it'll take for the storm to clear up?"

"I don't know," Malon answered, her attention fixed on Link's shoulder, "maybe another day or so. Just hold still—it's hard to get this right with you squirming around."

She gave the bandages a light tug. Link flinched. Malon opened her mouth to admonish him, then changed her mind.

"Why don't you take a sip or two of the potion, Link? It'll help."

Link shook his head carefully. "Nah, I'm gonna save it for the road, when I really need it. That's why I want the weather to clear—the sooner it's nice, the sooner I can get going, and the sooner I can stop feeling this blasted injury."

"I suppose that does make sense… But if that's the case, maybe we're better off if the rain lasts for a few days more. I know you're in a hurry, and I know that you're right about the supplies, but you need to rest whether you want to or not. I'm not about to have spent all this time wrapping your shoulder for you to go trip and fall off a mountain because you were tired."

"I'll be fine," Link answered automatically as Malon finally finished bandaging his shoulder, "Even assuming the weather is perfect, if I'm still that tired tomorrow, I just won't leave. Heck, if I'm still that tired, you won't let me leave. Am I right?"

"Completely right. It's just not fair how much I've had to worry about you, lately. So if you're stubborn enough to go traipsing around Death Mountain with a broken shoulder, I'm going to be stubborn enough to make sure you do it properly."

Link laughed, wincing as pain spiked in his shoulder again.

Malon gave him a pointed look. "You really should take it easy now, you know. If you're set on leaving soon, you'd better get all the rest you can, now."

"Yeah, yeah, I know—I'll rest. But we should eat, first. We'll both feel better after a good hot meal."

"Point taken. I'll start the fire and find a pot to fill. You… you look in that crate over there and grab whatever you want to throw into a soup."

Link nodded and painfully hauled himself to his feet. Malon stood and set about kindling a small fire. Together, they prepared a simple meal, and then relaxed to sleep and wait out the storm.

* * *

The next morning, Link woke up stiff, sore, and anxious, but he was pleased to find the rising sun shining in his eyes. The sky was the clear, pale blue of cloudless dawn, and the birds sang loudly. Somewhere off to the west, Link imagined he heard a Cuckoo crowing.

He yawned and stretched, wincing as his injured shoulder asserted its presence. Malon glanced over, already awake and working. She has several small pieces from the _Epona_'s various mechanics laid out in front of her, and she seemed to be tweaking one of them with a tiny wrench of some sort. Link blinked and yawned again.

"You're being productive already?"

Malon grinned and nodded, not looking up from her work. "Yup. I figured I'd get an early start—use this nice daylight for some early morning repairs."

"And you were the one saying how we needed to rest," Link grumbled, hiding his smile.

"No, Link, I was telling you how _you_ needed rest—I didn't say anything about me. Now—I warmed up last night's soup, so help yourself, if you're hungry."

Link nodded and carefully poured a helping into one of the shallow bowls Malon had salvaged from the wreck. The soup was filling, but the flavor was rather… lacking.

"Y'know," Link mused, taking a sip and wrinkling his nose, "next time we get shipwrecked, remind me to pack a couple of fresh fish, and… maybe a pumpkin. Some goat cheese might be nice, too."

Malon looked up from her work, her eyebrows raised sarcastically. "Yes, Link, of course. Next time, we should just pause midway through our violent crash and step out for a quick trip to the market. We may end up stranded on a goddess-forsaken mountain named Death, but we'll darn well have some really killer soup."

Link chuckled. "Yeah, doesn't that sound like a great idea?"

"I think it sounds like a better idea to just not crash next time. But then, that's my opinion. If you _like_ wandering around in the wilderness, injured and starving, well, you can just get your own boat and do whatever makes you happy."

"Nah, no thanks, I think I'm good."

Link finished his soup, somehow managing not to spill more than a few drops on himself. Malon sat quietly, tightening a last small bolt as she waited. After a moment, she spoke up again.

"So, Link… Do you think you'll take one last day to rest? Or do you plan to head out sooner?"

Link set aside his empty bowl and glanced at the sky again. "Well, the skies are clear, and it looks to me like the weather might last a while… I think I'd have to be crazy to waste a day like this."

"I think you're crazy already. Desperate or not—I think it's completely insane to want to travel alone I the wilderness with an injured shoulder."

"But Malon—like I said before, the sooner I get going, the sooner we can all go home. Until we can get the Gorons to give us the parts we need, we're stuck, but if we can get their help…"

"Yeah, I get it, Link. You don't have to explain. I just wish you didn't have to go like this. You're hurt, and traveling won't make you any better."

"Well, neither will sitting one day more or less. This'll take weeks to heal, and honestly I wanna start the painkiller sooner rather than later, and that means getting out there and going before we're _really _desperate."

Malon sighed, setting down her tools. "I sorta wish I didn't see your point. But I swear, Link, if this doesn't work out and you end up getting yourself killed, I'm gonna march right up to that Zelda and give her a piece of my mind, princess or not. It's her fault we're stuck out here. Her—and that Din-cursed unnatural storm."

Link laughed and resisted the urge to shrug. "Well, much as I'd pay to see that, I can't do much to change it. I will promise you this, though: with Din, Nayru, and Farore as my witnesses, I swear to do all in my power to make it back in one piece."

"I know. I believe you. I just wish I could say I was sure that would be enough."

* * *

Not an hour later, Link stood at the entrance to the cave, a pack slung over his good arm, his sword strapped to his shoulder, and the sun in his eyes. Malon loitered behind him in the shade of the cave, her yellow bandanna tied over her hair to keep it from blowing in her eyes as she worked.

"I wish I could talk you out of this, Link."

Link looked up. The sky was still clear, devoid of anything but puffy white cumulus clouds—the sheep of the sky. The sun shone brightly, the air was cool and clean, and the weather was perfect, though the ground was still wet and muddy. "I know you do. But you have your job, and I have mine. What else am I good for, if not throwing myself into bad situations to get us out of worse ones? I'm pretty sure that's what Mido pays me for. You're the mechanic, I'm the muscle."

"Just… be careful. It makes me nervous to know my brawn's wandering around out in the world without a brain."

Link chuckled. "I'll be fine. I have a brain of my own, remember. It might be risky, but I see this as a chance I have to take."

Exasperated, Malon rolled her eyes. "Yeah, yeah, okay, Mister Hero. Go do your thing and save us all or whatever it is you think you're doing. I'll just be sitting here, fixing _Epona_ and praying to the goddesses that you don't end up fried by lightning and eaten by Wolfos or something."

Link glanced over his shoulder to give Malon a grin. "I'll see you later, Malon."

Malon returned a pointed stare. "You'd better. I might not forgive you if you don't."

"I know, I know. I'll be careful. Now—is a real goodbye too much to ask? It'd be—what's the word… Closure. Fulfill the social ritual and all that."

Malon stepped up to look Link square in the face. "No. I'm not saying goodbye. You know why? Because I don't want this to be goodbye. If you want closure, you're going to have to come back and get it later. Right now, 'good luck' is the best you're gonna get from me."

"I see your point. Okay then, good luck, Malon. I trust you to do your best out here."

Malon gave a curt nod. "Good luck to you, too. I expect you to do the same."

Link took a few steps forward, then he paused. "Malon… I get the whole not saying goodbye, thing, but… Can I get a smile before I go? At least pretend to be happy. It'll set my mind at ease."

Malon held her cold stare for moment longer, before finally breaking out in a rueful grin. "You drive me crazy, you know that? I have every right to be annoyed that my copilot is wandering off on what may or may not be a suicide mission—can't you just let me worry in peace?"

"Nope," Link replied, returning her smile with one of his own, "I'm not about to let you waste valuable time fretting about me when _Epona_ needs you fit and focused if she's to get back in the air! I'll be fine. I did promise, remember. Have I ever broken my word?"

Malon shook her head, laughing despite herself. "No, as far as I know, you haven't. But there's always a first time for everything. Now do me a favor and get going already—otherwise I might just have to push you down this mountain myself. I can't stand these drawn-out goodbyes."

"But this isn't a goodbye! You specifically said—"

Malon raised her eyebrow and pointed to the narrow path that led down the mountain. Link chuckled, gave one last confident grin, then finally walked away. His grin didn't fade until he was halfway down the path and well out of Malon's sight.

* * *

**Well, here I am again. This chapter was surprisingly hard to finish. Though of course that might be because I was surprisingly busy this month... Other, more time-sensitive projects popped up... sleep had to happen... And what do you know-I happen to be in Florida right now. Long story short, it's been crazy, but I made it back here on time!**

**Anyway, thanks again to everyone who stopped by to read this, especially those of you who took the time to review. Hearing back from you guys makes the effort totally worthwhile-and it's good to see your comments and opinions and stuff so I can shape my writing accordingly.  
**

**I'd also like to give a special thanks to both SilverFallow and Glaceon Mage-you two have left me a review on pretty much every chapter I've posted so far, and that really means a lot. I truly appreciate your feedback. So... Yeah. Thanks so much.  
Thanks to Moana, too, for beta reading for me again on such short notice. With luck, I'll have next month's chapter done a bit sooner, so I won't be summoning you again at eleven at night on a Thursday. Hopefully**

**Well, I guess I've rambled for long enough, now. These author's note things just seem to be getting longer and longer... Then again, that's probably because I have people to thank, so that's not a bad thing. But it's about time I went and got food and started on the next chapter. So... yeah.**

**Thanks again for reading, I hope you enjoyed it, and I hope to see you all again next month! Have a nice day!**

**~Garsson**


	7. Trust Fall

After half an hour of walking, the path came to an abrupt end. The ground stopped, and all Link saw beyond it was the sky. He set his bag down and knelt by the edge of the cliff. Twenty feet below, the path resumed in the form of a narrow ledge, twisting and turning down the mountain. Despite his experience in the sky, the sight made Link dizzy.

His bracelet chimed. Navi emerged to fly around Link's head. "Look! Link, the path drops away, here! Be careful—if you fall, you could get really hurt! And that would be bad, because you're already pretty hurt."

Link closed his eyes and sighed, muttering a quiet prayer for patience. "Thank you for that helpful insight, Navi. I never would have figured that out on my own. Now, please, make yourself useful and see if you can't find some other way down the mountain. I can't exactly climb this with a busted arm, and if I can't get down, your Princess Zelda's out another messenger."

Navi flitted around in dizzying circles, apparently showing her concern through motion. She flew one way, then the other, then high overhead, before returning to bob around Link's face. "I don't see anything, Link! I think this is the only way… But you can do it! Zelda chose you as her hero, and that means—"

"That doesn't mean anything if I die here because my ship went down and my bone snapped. Right now, your hero talk is the opposite of helpful. I just want to know how to survive this, Navi. Will you stop fluttering around and help me?"

Navi stopped, hovering suddenly in midair. Her aura dimmed a bit, and she drifted downwards. "I'm sorry, Link. I know how important this is, but I don't—wait! Yes!" She perked up, jolting back into a blur of motion. "I have an idea! I'll call the princess! She'll know what to do!"

"Wait—what? No! Leave Zelda out of this— You don't need to—"

"It's about time you reported back anyway! Give me a moment, and I'll make the connection!"

Before Link could protest further, Navi froze, the Gossip Stone at his wrist lit up and started sparking, and the air filed with a strange, low hum. Link's face went pale, and he had to stop himself from cursing as Princess Zelda's voice emanated from his wrist, soft and clear as though she were standing next to him.

"Link? Navi? Have you made it to Death Mountain? What's the situation with the Gorons?" The princess sounded oddly tense, almost breathless. Link cleared his throat awkwardly and brought the Gossip Stone to his mouth, shooting Navi a glare.

"Uh… Well, your Highness, we've hit some trouble. Everything's okay, though—no one's hurt—and I'm on my way to meet with the Gorons as we speak."

"Is that so, Link? I'm glad to hear that everything is going so well with you. When do you expect to begin the negotiations?"

Link coughed quietly. "I plan to open the discussion as soon as I reach the mountain, Highness."

"You mean you've yet to reach Death Mountain, Link?" Zelda's voice carried enough dismay to make Link flinch.

"Uh… yeah. I guess that is what I mean. A storm brought us down not too far off, so I'm making the rest of the journey on foot."

"I see… Is that why you called, Link?"

"Something like that… You see, Highness, uh… Well, there's this wall I gotta climb down if I wanna get any farther, and as it happens, I busted my shoulder when we crashed. Navi was thinking maybe you could offer some wisdom on how to get past. Do you know of any alternate paths, or..?" Link trailed off, uncertain of how to continue. It was weird enough talking to a beautiful princess, and even weirder talking to a beautiful princess who wasn't there.

After a few moments of silence, Zelda spoke again. "I'm going to increase the connection between my stone and yours, Link. Navi will act as a conduit, and I'll be able to see what she sees. I do not know of any alternate paths, however I may yet find some way in which to assist you."

Before Link could comment, the hum of magic grew louder, and Navi began to sparkle. Zelda spoke again.

"Alright, Link, I see you, now. I don't have long, but I'll help as best I can."

Link nodded uncomfortably, and Zelda began giving orders to Navi. The fairy swooped around in low, wide circles at the princess' direction, stopping occasionally to examine the rock face. Link waited patiently, until at last Navi returned and Zelda addressed him again.

"Link, I believe I may have found a way. However… you're going to have to trust me. There's—"

Before Zelda could finish her thought, she was cut off by an odd tapping noise. Link heard Zelda suppress a sigh, and her voice grew formal and muted, as if she was suddenly farther away. "Enter."

A door creaked, and a new voice spoke up—one even more muted than Zelda's had become. The quiet, respectful murmur brought the word 'servant' to Link's mind.

"Highness, sorry to bother you so soon after your last meeting, but the Governor of Lanayru is here early, and he wishes to speak with you—immediately, he says."

Though Link could not see Zelda, he could imagine the look on her face—the dignity, the power, and the tragic, tired serenity that always lurked on the edge of her bearing. "Thank you, Jenn. Please tell him that I understand the urgency of the drought, and shall be with him shortly to discuss the solution. The Head of the Trade Union should still be in the Blue Room—you may direct the Governor there, and ensure that both men are served refreshments while they await my return."

Link got the impression of a servant being dismissed and a door being closed, then Zelda addressed him again. "I offer my sincerest apologies, Link, but I fear I don't have much time to explain. Urgent matters await my attention, so you must do as I say without question. Are you prepared to obey, Link?"

Link nodded hesitantly. "Yes, Princess, I don't see myself as having much choice, at this point."

"Retrieve your pack. Turn left, and walk along the cliff's edge until I tell you to stop."

Feeling foolish, Link did as Zelda commanded.

"Stop! You're a half-pace too far, now. Go back—there—yes. Perfect. Now, I need you to turn back toward the edge and take one step forwards."

Link turned, but his feet remained anchored in place. His toes were even with the sharp drop, and the only ground he saw before him was roughly two hundred feet below the point at which he stood. The stunted, scraggly trees that clung to the rock face would never be enough to break his fall. Link swallowed hard, his heart pounding.

"Uh… Princess? I don't know if you realize this, but that'll kill me. It's not that I'm scared of heights—I'm an airshipman, I'm fine with heights—but jumping from them still seems like suicide to me."

Zelda's voice was clear, authoritative, and without humor. "Link, you swore to obey without question. I do not intend to lead you to your death, and I do not intend to throw away our bargain. Take one step forward. Though you cannot see it, there is an outcropping of stone connected to a cave. It will catch your fall, and you will be fine."

Link looked down carefully, considering his options. The ground seemed very, very far away, and the rock face seemed devoid of any outcroppings, caves, or reprieves of any sort. A fall would kill him.

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

"And—if this doesn't pan out—you'll send people for Malon, won't you? You can't let her die up here just because—"

"Your concern is admirable, but discipline would be more appreciated, Link. Your friend will be taken care of if you do your duty. Please, time is wearing short." Zelda's voice was uncharacteristically tense. Was she annoyed, or… worried? Link didn't dare guess. A knocking at the Princess' door stopped his train of thought from wandering further.

The servant's voice spoke up again, muted and urgently demure. "Your Highness, the Head of the Trade Union and the Governor of Lanayru are arguing, and it's getting rather… intense. They look as though they're about to come to blows. If you'd be pleased to hurry—"

"Yes, Jenn, thank you. I anticipated as such, and the situation is well in hand. I shall be down to manage it in a moment. Please, go speak with the steward and make sure the preparations have been made for my meeting with the Duke later today." Zelda's voice was calm and carefully controlled.

The servant left. Link heaved a deep sigh and cast his eyes skyward. "Nayru forgive me and Farore protect me—this is idiotic. I hope you're happy, Princess."

Link closed his eyes, took one short step forward, and fell.

* * *

Agony. Agony was all Link knew. He felt broken—splattered, even—across the hard stone floor. His shoulder was on fire, his ribs were on fire—Link felt as though he were made of fire. Gradually, as the shimmering darkness faded from his vision, Link became aware of a bright blue sun hanging a few inches above his head.

The sun jingled. Link swore. At least, he tried to swear. The noise that exited his mouth was more of a groan.

"Link! Oh, Link! You're okay! You're alive! This is great! How do you feel?"

Link groaned again. It seemed like a good summary.

"Zelda left when you were asleep—she told me to wish you luck and say that the Goddesses—"

Link groaned a third time to shut Navi up. When his head had cleared and the flaming ache in his every muscle had died down, Link forced himself upright and fumbled for the Red Potion. Navi bobbed around his head, babbling some nonsense about cave systems and abandoned mines, but he ignored her. He was too busy fumbling with the bottle's stopper to listen.

After too long a moment, Link got the bottle open and took a sip. The potion tasted foul, but the relief it brought was sweet. The throbbing in Link's shoulder faded to a dull ache, and the pain from his fresh bruises disappeared almost entirely. He sighed, glad to be alive, then turned to address Navi.

"I'm insane."

Navi stopped her rambling mid-tangent. "What? Link, what are you—?"

"I'm insane. That's the only explanation—the princess says jump off a cliff, so I go and throw myself off a cliff. Sane people don't do that, so obviously I've gone and snapped. Can I get some sort of worker's compensation for this? I deserve extra pay."

Navi hovered, momentarily speechless. "You… Stop being ridiculous, Link! You're not crazy—you did exactly what you needed to do! Princess Zelda is very wise, and it's important that you trust her! You know she's going to do what's best for you and for all of Hyrule Kingdom—no matter what."

"Yeah, yeah—okay, fairy, I get it. Zelda is all-knowing, all-powerful and all-important. I didn't ask for a lecture. This has already been a long day, and it's only gonna get longer. Now—let's try and focus here. What is this—a cave? A tunnel? Where are we?"

"I told you to listen before, Link! These mountains are riddled with old Goron mines! Princess Zelda said that almost every cave on this peak likely connects to a mine—and all the mines lead further down the mountain! All we need to do is keep from getting lost!"

"Right. Keep from getting lost. Yeah. Okay. Do we have a lantern? No. Malon has the lantern. Do we have a map? No. No we don't. We don't have anything, Navi."

"The princess said—"

"Your princess is miles away! She didn't give me any maps, she didn't give me any supplies, she hardly gave me any advice—she just went ahead and sent me on this suicide mission with nothing but a bracelet I can't take off and a little glowing fluffball who won't shut up! Now I'm hurt and _Epona_'s wrecked, and—" Link cut himself off, suddenly aware that he had been shouting. Navi's wings drooped, and she gave a tiny, dejected chime.

Link ran his hand down his face and sighed. "Look… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell. You gotta understand that I'm hurt, I'm worried, and I didn't sign up for any of this. I just want to get this done and go home while I'm still in one piece, and vague hints from our grand and glorious monarch don't do me much good. If you really want to help me, Navi, you'll go fly down this tunnel and tell me what you see. It's dark, and I can't navigate on my own. I didn't mean what I said, and I… I need your help if we're to get through this."

Navi was silent for an uncomfortably long moment. Finally, she bobbed in the air. "We can do this if we work together, Link. I'll find you a safe path. Don't worry." With that, she flew off, trailing glitter and illuminating the dark tunnel walls as she went.

Link watched her light disappear around the sharp corner. He sighed again, forcing himself to relax. None of this was Navi's fault, the fairy was simply following orders, same as him. Zelda was the one to blame, if anyone was to take the blame. She was the one giving the orders. She was the one managing the kingdom, and she the was the one with whom the Gerudo were at war. She was also the one with those sad blue eyes that wouldn't get out of his head, and that soft voice that echoed in his ears long after the world fell silent.

To his annoyance, Link found that he couldn't stay mad. Maybe Saria's potion had numbed his anger along with his aching shoulder and bruised skin. Link gave the bottle a distasteful glance. Effective as the stuff was, Saria could have tried to make it taste better.

Hardly two minutes later, Navi returned, zipping back up the hallway as quickly as her wings could carry her. Link glanced up.

"Back already?"

"Uh-huh! There wasn't much to see. It's just a long straight hallway—no holes or side passages or anything! Not until the turn at the end—and then out beyond that corner, it's just a long winding path down to the exit! Perfectly safe!"

Link stood, leaning on the wall for support. "I hope you're right, fairy. I can only take so much more battering before I break. If things keep going the way they've been, your princess is going to have to send me home in a bucket."

"Don't be so morbid, Link! Let's go! I believe in you!"

"Uh-huh. Sure." Link stretched and shook himself, trying to keep alert through the haze of potion-numbed pain. Then, following Navi, he turned the corner and entered the mountain.

* * *

The tunnel was dark. Navi's pale aura did little to illuminate it. Though Link knew she was doing her best, the way she bobbed around made it impossible for him to get more than a fleeting impression of his surroundings. One moment her glow reflected off the rough stone ceiling, the next, she shone against some sort of derelict mining track, and then a second later, she was back by Link's feet, casting her light down the steeply sloping path.

"Navi, can you stop moving around so much? You're making me dizzy."

Navi paused. "I'm sorry, Link. I'm trying to spread the light as much as I can, but I'm not actually a lantern, so I'm not very good at it."

Link kept his sarcasm in check and forced himself to be as nice as possible. "I know, Navi, and I appreciate what you're trying to do—I'm just already dizzy from all that's happened today, so I'd be grateful if you slowed it down a bit. Can you do that for me?"

Navi bobbed once, and slowed her ceaseless motion. It didn't help much. The tunnel remained dark, and Link remained dizzy. He closed his eyes for a moment and steadied himself against the wall. The stone crumbled beneath his hands to a chorus of high pitched squeaks.

Hundreds of small, reflective yellow dots appeared in the darkness. Link froze. Navi dimmed her aura and flew next to Link's ear.

"Don't move," she whispered, "that's a Keese nest—you've woken them up, but if we're quiet, maybe they'll go back to sleep. If you're very careful, you can back away slowly, and—"

Link took one tiny step backwards. One of the Keese spread its wings and shrieked.

"Link! Run! Follow me!" Navi shouted, flying down the hallway. Link turned and dashed. Behind him, a storm of black erupted from the hole in the wall. Bats the size of Link's head spewed from the stone, swarming erratically and battering Link with their leathery wings. They were practically invisible in the darkness—and the swarm was thick enough to nearly extinguish Navi's light.

Link squinted past the whirlwind of wings, covering his head with his one good arm. He could just make out Navi's light fading farther up the tunnel—the Keese seemed to be ignoring her to focus on him.

Suddenly, Link's foot caught on something protruding from the floor and he fell. Whatever it was rolled forward and began hissing faintly. Link's eye caught a dim orange glow sparking at one end of what appeared to be an odd, dark blue sphere.

_Bomb flower._

Link scrambled to his feet and ran.

Behind him, the bomb flower exploded in a plume of acrid smoke, shaking the ground and taking several of the Keese with it. The heat of the blast singed the back of Link's neck, but he kept running. A strange rumble filled the air.

"Navi! What's going on? I can't look back—I need your help!"

Navi halted her headlong flight, zooming back to Link's aid. She zipped behind him as he ran forward. There was an earsplitting crash. She came back into sight.

"Run faster, Link! The explosion—it dislodged a huge boulder that's rolling this way! If you don't clear the cave, you'll be crushed flat!"

Link didn't waste his breath on a reply. He poured all his energy into running faster.

Navi guided Link around the corner. The rumbling behind him grew steadily louder. Keese screamed as they were smashed against the stone. The ground quaked, shuddering as the boulder hit the corner and changed its course.

"Watch out! The path gets narrower up ahead!" Navi cried, skimming close to the ground to light the way. Just as she said, the path narrowed, twisting down with a wall on one side and a sheer drop down to unknowable darkness on the other. It was too long—too winding. Link heard the ground crunch behind him as the boulder rolled nearer.

Link dashed down the path, reaching for the hookshot at his belt—and swore. It wasn't there. He'd lost track of it when _Epona_ crashed.

The ground quaked beneath his feet. Link's breath came in ragged gasps. Navi urged him on—screamed for him to run faster, but Link could barely hear her over his pounding heart and the boulder's crushing rumble. He could sense it gaining—picking up speed and overtaking him. He fixed his eyes on the exit—the single spot of natural light in the blackness of the cave—and sprinted. At the last moment, he jumped.

Link hit the ground and was blinded by light. A deafening crash shook the mountainside.

He lay there for a long moment, regaining his breath and letting his vision clear. When he finally felt well enough, Link sat up, fumbled for another sip of the potion, and turned to look behind him. The boulder had smashed into the exit, effectively sealing the cave. Link let out a long, shaky breath and thanked the goddesses.

Beside him, a tiny bell chimed weakly. Navi sat on the hard stone ground, her wings limp and her aura dim.

"Are… you okay, Link?" she asked, her wings fluttering faintly.

"Yeah…" Link nodded, still breathless. "I made it in one piece. Thanks to you, I think. You doin' alright?"

Navi jingled, flapping once as she tried and failed to find the energy for flight. "I'm… I'm okay. Just… tired. I didn't realize how hard it would be to—to fly so fast, and… to glow so bright…"

"Well, you know, you made a fine firefly back there, fairy. I… You need a rest. I'll be fit to carry on in… Well, I'll need a few more minutes, but… I think I'll be ready to hit the road again soon. If you'd like… Well, you're welcome to sit on my shoulder while I walk. I imagine you'll be able to see a lot more from there than from the bracelet, and you need a break from flying."

Navi chimed a tired assent. Link scooped her up in his hand and lifted her gently to his shoulder. Then he got to his feet again and began to walk.

* * *

By nightfall, Link hurt all over. His legs ached, his shoulder burned, and his body was one massive bruise. Worst of all, his supply of the Red Potion was depressingly low. After only a single day, it was already halfway gone.

Link did not sleep well that night, and the distant howling of the Wolfos did nothing to soothe his uneasy dreams. When morning came and Navi woke him, Link was glad to get back on the road.

He walked all day again, from the time the Cuckoos crowed, to the hour when the Wolfos began their nightly song anew, and then the following dawn, he drank the last of his potion and picked himself up to do the same thing again. As more and more of the dusty red mountain disappeared behind him and the painkiller's effects wore off for the last time, Link began to seriously question the wisdom of being born. The air was only getting thinner, and his life was only getting harder. To make matters worse, the higher Link climbed, the more perilous the terrain seemed to become—random earthquakes shook the ground beneath his feet, and unpredictable rockfalls threatened to crush him with depressing frequency. Death Mountain, he decided, was aptly named.

"Link, did you see that?" Navi asked suddenly, drifting up to survey the dead landscape.

"See what?" Link's throat was dry. After so long silent, the sound of his own voice came as a shock.

"I'm not sure. I just thought I saw… something. Like a shadow up there on that ridge over there. Only for a moment though. I could have been imagining it."

Link raised his head for a moment to look. The narrow trail he followed twisted up the mountain between massive stone walls and ravines so deep light could not penetrate their misty depths, and each high, unreachable ridge seemed much the same as every other high, unreachable ridge. Link gave a noncommittal grunt and turned his attention back to his feet.

Navi fluttered around in aimless circles. "I don't see anything now, but… I'm almost sure…"

A stone clattered to the ground a few feet away, fallen from some impossible height. Something skittered against the ridge. Navi floated up to investigate—and screamed.

"Link! Watch out! Move!"

Link stumbled aside, hurling himself against the wall. Something large and spiderlike hit the ground where he had been standing a moment before, lightly bouncing on four barbed, bony legs. It twisted one way, then the other, until its single red eye locked on Link. The monster looked at him for a long moment, then crouched to spring. Link inched his hand towards his sword.

"Careful! It's going to jump! Stab it here!" Navi swooped down and started flying in tiny circles around the creature's eye. The thing lunged at her, snapping its tiny jaws at her frail wings. Link drew his sword and thrust forward. His blade clanged uselessly against the monster's dusty red carapace. His injured shoulder screamed.

"Don't worry about missing, Link! Try again! You can do it!"

Link's sword fell from his grasp. He clutched at his broken collarbone, shaking his head. "No! I—I can't! Not—augh… Not like this! I can't do it!"

"Well pick up your sword and—" The creature lunged at the fairy again. She dodged, only barely missing its needle-sharp teeth. "Just try, Link! Please!"

Link heard himself whimper, but he grabbed his sword anyway. He readied himself, aimed, and thrust again. The monster shrieked, thick purple blood gushing from its scarlet eye. Link withdrew his sword. The monster hit the ground. Link sheathed his blade and turned to look at Navi.

"What—what was that?"

"A Tektite," Navi replied, prompt and clear as though she were reciting something. "They live on mountains and by lakes, and they hunt by throwing themselves at their prey, bludgeoning their quarry with their hard exoskeletons. You can kill them by targeting their eyes, their joints, and the softer sections of their underbellies."

"And… When were you planning to warn me about them?"

"My job is to help you fight any monster that attacks us."

"It'd help a lot more if I could know before they actually—you know what? Never mind. The sooner we get there, the sooner I can get home and never have to deal with this again."

Navi bobbed her assent, drifting up to follow Link as he resumed walking. "There is one thing I don't understand, though."

"And what's that?"

"Tektites almost never hunt alone."

Something skittered on high. Link heard several soft thuds behind him, as well as the sound of crunching earth.

Link turned. Three Tektites stared back at him, their red eyes unblinking. One crouched, preparing to spring. Half a second after, the other two followed suit.

Link turned again and fled up the mountain.

"It would have been really nice to know this a minute ago, Navi!" he shouted, risking a glance over his shoulder. The Tektites bounded after, each jump bringing them several feet closer. As if that weren't enough, the mountain began to violently shake.

"Link! Watch out!"

"I am watching out!"

"No—look in front of you!"

Link obeyed just in time to see an abyss open up beneath his feet. The ground crumbed, falling away with a noise like rolling thunder. Link scrambled backwards, only barely making it to solid ground. The three Tektites leapt closer, unaffected by the shuddering earth. Link took a deep breath and turned to face them.

"Navi..." The earth rumbled. The stone creaked and groaned and shuddered. The Tektites paused, staring at Link with something akin to cautious curiosity.

"I know," the fairy replied, "I'll do what I can."

The Tektite on the left dropped into a crouch. It was slightly bigger than the others. Link eyed it carefully, bending his knees and drawing his sword.

"Now, Link!"

The monster leapt. Link threw himself sideways. The Tektite missed him—hurtling straight over the cliff and into the abyss.

Navi jingled. "On your right!"

The second monster pounced, slamming into Link's side. Something crunched—probably his ribs. He smashed the hilt of his sword down into the Tektite's eye. Squealing piteously, it staggered back. Link planted his boot on its carapace and shoved it over the cliff's edge.

"Duck!"

Too late—the third Tektite connected with Link's chest and knocked him down. His sword flew from his grasp. The Tektite jumped on top of him, pinning Link as it aimed its needle teeth at his exposed throat. Rocks the size of Link's head rained from the sky, shattering on the earth and pelting everything with sharp debris.

Link raised his one good arm like a shield. The snapping jaws stopped an inch away from his neck.

Navi hurled herself at the monster, bouncing ineffectually off its armor. It didn't notice. The Tektite merely strained harder for Link's blood. He felt its teeth pinch and scrape his skin. He screamed. Death Mountain groaned.

Navi zipped down, weaving around the thing's face, dancing around its fangs. "Close your eyes, Link!"

Link did. Through his eyelids, he saw a bright blue flash. The Tektite yowled, recoiling from the intense light. Link shoved upwards. The monster was too heavy to dislodge.

An earsplitting crack rent the air. The mountain sighed. The path collapsed, sliding downwards into darkness.

* * *

Link awoke in a pile of rubble. His ears rang. His vision was blurred. His mouth tasted of dirt and blood. Painfully, he raised his head to look around. His legs were buried under piles of stone. His injured arm had come free of its bandages and was twisted at a frightening angle.

Link licked his lips and attempted to find his voice. It took a few tries. "Navi..?" he finally managed to croak.

The fairy floated down from somewhere high above. Her normally blue aura was tinted green.

"You… okay…?" Link asked.

She bobbed once in the air. "I need you to follow me, Link. Can you do that?"

"I… don't know. I… I can't… can't move my legs."

"You have to try." There was an odd quality to her voice. She seemed solemn. Insistent, even.

Link pulled at his legs, straining to ease his body out from under the dirt and stone. The detritus shifted, but Link did not come free. Everything hurt too much. Dark spots swam in his vision. His head felt light.

"Come on, Link. You can do it. You have to do it."

"I… I can't, Navi, I…" He paused to breath and let his head fall back to the earth.

"You can, Link. You will. Just do as I say. Everything will be fine."

For the next hour, Navi talked to Link, keeping him conscious and coaching him through the process of extricating his legs. When at last he was free, she bid him crawl up the mountain.

Link obeyed. He didn't have the strength to argue.

The rock slide had formed what used to be the path into a steep, crumbly slope. Navi guided Link to the safer paths as he dragged himself upwards. Link paused often to lay his head down and rest. Somewhere far away, a Wolfos howled. The sun sank from sight. The stars emerged one by one, partially obscured by the dark shape of the mountain.

"Only a little farther, Link. You can make it."

"Where…?" Link couldn't find the energy to lift his head and look.

"Three more feet to the cave. When you get inside, everything will be okay."

The last three feet took an age to pass. Every inch seemed a mile. The short, straight tunnel that followed was no better. Easier, but no less painful.

When Navi finally told Link he could stop, he closed his eyes and gratefully slumped into a semiconscious stupor. The floor was smooth and cool beneath his fevered cheek, and Link could hear the soothing sounds of running water echoing through the cave. Nothing had ever sounded so peaceful.

Then somebody screamed. The sound was halfway between joy and grief, and was followed by noises that could have been either laughter or sobs. Link pried his eyes open. An enormous woman—larger than anyone Link had ever seen—appeared from thin air, springing up to float several feet above the ground in a storm of sparkling lights. She was clad only in ivy, and her hair was the color of a ripe summer strawberry. She said something to Navi, who replied incomprehensibly. Link's mind was too far gone to make sense of their words.

He let his eyes drift nearly shut. The woman chuckled, raised her hand to her face, and blew a cloud of glittering cherry blossoms over Link's broken body. The air rang with the sound of magic. A white light enveloped Link's form.

Instantly, the pain drained from Link's limbs and strength flooded back to him. His head cleared, and his bones shifted, moving back into their natural positions. Link picked himself off the ground, amazed to find that he no longer felt hungry or thirsty or tired. It was as if he'd never been injured at all.

He gazed up at the floating woman, speechless, amazed, and intensely grateful. She chuckled, spinning and crossing her legs as though she were seated on an invisible chair.

"Oh, Hero who bares the mark of the Goddesses, I am the Great Fairy of the Mountain. Well met are we this night."

Link bowed awkwardly at the waist and cleared his throat. "I… er… Thanks for the healing—I'm… I believe I owe you my life, but… I think you have me confused with someone else, ma'am."

The Great Fairy exchanged a glance with Navi and smiled. "Are you not the man the Hylian Princess sent to unite the peoples of Hyrule against the evil amassing in the desert?"

"Uh—well—"

"Are you not the man who bares the sign of the sacred force on the back of his left hand?"

"I—wait, what? How did you—"

The Great Fairy waved her hand, pulling Link's glove away with her magic. His birthmark—three golden triangles arranged into one larger triangle—glowed faintly. The Great Fairy smirked and tilted her head, resting her chin lightly in her hand. "Have the people of Hyrule so easily forgotten the ancient tales?"

Link bit the inside of his cheek. "I… I can't speak for everyone, but after the last war, I was too busy looking out for my sister to bother with anything that didn't directly relate to getting us through the day. The old wives were too busy mourning their husbands and sons to tell their tales."

The Great Fairy twisted her face into what might've been a rueful smile. "Well said, boy. Perhaps one day, if you are indeed the Hero the Goddesses chose, there shall come a time when the gaps in your knowledge are filled. But until then, allow me to aid you in your quest. Give me the empty vessel you carry."

Link blinked, suddenly overcome by the surreality of the whole situation. "You mean… my empty bottle?"

"Is there another vessel to which I could refer?" She giggled. "Yes, give me your bottle. I wish to bestow a gift upon you."

Half-convinced he was living out some last hallucination as he lay dying outside in the heap of rubble, Link took the bottle that had recently held his supply of potion and passed it to the Great Fairy. She levitated it towards her and made it float between her open palms.

Magic rang through the cave. A cloud of sparkling light surrounded the Great Fairy, and a pink orb appeared inside Link's bottle. It glowed faintly and fluttered its translucent wings as the bottle floated back towards Link's hands.

He stared at it, confused. "You're giving me another fairy?"

The Great Fairy nodded. "Keep it with you always—it will come to your aid when your need is greatest. But beware—you shall only receive a single second chance."

"And… what does that mean, exactly?"

"You will know when the time comes."

"That's… incredibly helpful," Link muttered, half to himself. "Not cryptic at all."

The Great Fairy smiled. "Return to me when next you are lost and in need of my aid. Step into the light, and I shall return you to the top of the mountain."

"What light? I feel like somewhere in this conversation, I missed something important. What the heck are we talking about, now?"

The Great Fairy simply smiled and blew a kiss in Link's direction. A circle of white light appeared on the ground by his feet. The Great Fairy herself indulged in one final, shrieking laugh, before disappearing back into the empty air. Link looked down at the bottled fairy in his hands, then up at Navi.

"Navi? What just happened?"

"The Great Fairy gave you her blessing, Link. You are very lucky—we got here just in time for her to save your life."

Link nodded slowly. "So… This actually did happen, right? I'm not dreaming, or dead, or something?"

Navi chimed happily. "Not as far as I can tell! Now come on, Link! Step into the light so we can go!"

Link took a deep breath and sighed, stowing the bottle away in his pocket. He shrugged, took one step forward, and the rushing wind surrounded him.

* * *

**Well, here we go again. Wait-didn't I say that last month? Wait-yeah, I did. Never mind, then! My brain's a bit fried from overexposure to life, so yeah. Don't mind me. Sleep needs to happen, and it hasn't happened, so blah blah blah I'm exhausted. On the plus side, I covered a lot of ground with this chapter. Things are moving, and soon they'll be getting places, and that's exciting. On the even plus-er side, I go on vacation, soon-which is also very exciting. (That's also why I'm posting this now, rather than next Friday, like I usually would. Time constraints exist.)  
**

**Anyway, thanks for reading! I hope you enjoyed it, because you guys are great-especially you lovely people who left reviews for me-I love hearing your comments and opinions. There's really no better motivator!**

**So yeah, I guess I'll see you all next month. By then I might be back in school... Time really flies, doesn't it? Oh well. Let's not think of that, yet. I'll go play Wind Waker again instead. Maybe some Phantom Hourglass, and... all of them. I want to play all of them. Wow, these decisions are hard. Oh well. I'll figure it out eventually.**

**So, before I sort that out... Thanks again, I hope you guys had fun, and I wish you the best of luck in all your endeavors! See you later!**

**~Garsson**


	8. Back on Track

The world spun, whirling around Link and Navi in deafening cyclone. The blues and greens and stony purples of the Great Fairy's cave blurred, taking on new hues and melting together into a turbulent rainbow. Link had to close his eyes to keep from getting sick.

When the world stopped swirling and the wind faded, Link opened his eyes. He stood at the edge of a steep cliff. Clouds drifted past below his feet, and the sky overhead was a clear, lightening blue. Link squinted at the horizon. From all the way up here, he could only barely make out a faint white smudge resting on the line where blue met green.

Castle Town…

Link sank to his knees and let out a shaky breath.

"Link! Are you okay?" Navi fluttered in close circles around Link's head, examining his face from every angle.

"Yeah… I'm fine, Navi. Thanks." He managed a weak grin and rubbed his neck. "I'm just… dizzy. That's all. Wind. Spinning. Moving. I'm dizzy."

"Are you sure? Because you're okay, now. You know that, right? The Great Fairy fixed everything. Look, Link, we're at the top of the mountain!"

Link chuckled. "Yes, Navi, I can see that. And I do feel much better, now. In fact…" Link shifted his position, maneuvering himself so he sat cross-legged on cliff's edge. As soon as he was comfortably stable, he twisted around and began to undo the bandages that still bound his right arm to his body.

Navi settled on Link's left shoulder, chattering companionably into his ear. "She found your sword, too! Did you notice it was back? You lost it when you fell, but she found it."

"Uh-huh," Link said, only half listening, "I do have two eyes of my own, you know." The bandages came away. Link stretched out his right arm and smiled. "But—you're right. The Great Fairy did a good job. I owe her one. More than one, actually. And… you did a good job, too, Navi… Thanks."

Navi laughed. "You're welcome, Link! I'm just happy that you're okay—Princess Zelda needs you. The Great Fairy knows that, too!"

Link coughed awkwardly. "Right… Sure. Okay. But you know who else needs me? Malon. She's out there waiting with Epona, and right now, that's who I'm doing this for right now. She's the one out in the wilderness with a busted ship." He got to his feet and stretched again, glancing over at Navi. "So, fairy, what do you say—you ready to help me track down those Gorons?"

Navi sprang up into the air, sparkling brightly. "Always, Link! Let's go!"

* * *

**Alright, apology time: this chapter is too short, it's two days late, and I'm really sorry. What with one thing and another, I didn't have time to write much this month. School started up again, and that meant moving in and going to class and all that awkward transition stuff, plus a million other things, and... you get the point. I just couldn't make this month happen. **

**I'll get back on track, though-next month will be a chapter worth reading, and it will be on time-I promise. I have everything planned out already, I just have to write it. So... yeah. Sorry. Thanks for reading this far, I'm sorry this chapter kinda sucks, but I hope to see you again next month, anyway. **

**Good luck to all you other people who're going back to school, too. Good luck to everyone, actually. This time of years always seems to get a little crazy, so we all need all the luck we can get. Anyway, I should stop rambling before this note gets to be as long as the chapter itself. That would be kinda awkward. So yeah.  
**

**Have a nice September, I'll see you all later!**

**~Garsson**


	9. Heart of Stone

"Hey, Navi, did that rock just move?"

"Which rock, Link? I didn't see anything!"

Link gestured towards one of the half-dozen round boulders that dotted the top of Death Mountain. "Maybe it's just 'cause this thin air up here is messing with my head, but I swear I just saw that rock twitch."

"Was it this one, Link?" Navi asked, drifting over to examine one of the large brown stones.

"Yeah, for a moment I thought I saw it sort of shudder." Link said, following her.

The rock was large—almost as tall as Link—and while the top had a craggy look to it, the sides of the boulder were as smooth as sandstone could be. Someone had painted pale yellow designs onto its surface, though Link could only guess their purpose.

"It looks pretty stable, to me," Navi said, landing lightly on top of it, "Though I suppose it could be shifting. All these earthquakes we've been feeling could have—oh wait! No! Look, Link, it's actually a—"

The boulder sat up, uncurling to reveal massive, muscular arms and a bulky, vaguely humanoid body. Crystalline eyes opened in its round face, and broad lips opened to bare large tombstone teeth. It got to its feet before Link could do more than jump back, seizing his arm in a hand like stone.

"What is a human doing all the way up here?" it growled. Its voice rumbled like the recent earthquakes. "Are you another desert spy? Big Brother told you once already—our tribe will never—"

"I—I'm not from the desert!" Link stammered, fighting to keep his voice calm. The Goron's hand was a vise on his bicep. "I come on behalf of Princess Zelda—of Hyrule! She—uh—I seek audience with Darunia!"

The Goron grumbled ponderously, leaning close to stare into Link's face. "Little human—Big Brother Darunia has better things to do than listen to your lies. Give me one reason why I should not throw you off the mountain right now."

"I—uh—I…" Link cast his eyes to the sky and offered Nayru a silent apology. "I've already fallen off this mountain more times than I care to count. Please—just take me to him, and then if it turns out that I'm lying, he can kick me off this rock himself. I won't even scream much. Honest."

The Goron squinted, its stone brow furrowing. Link kept his face impassive. Suddenly, the Goron grinned.

"You are a strange, funny human. I have not seen many of your kind who dare to be so brash. Are you brave, I wonder, or just a fool? I will take you to Big Brother. He will know. But if you speak to him the way you speak to me, you may wish I had thrown you off the mountain."

Link nodded, trying not to let his relief show too obviously. "Uh-huh—best behavior. Gotcha. I can do that. Take me to your leader—he'll see I'm telling the truth. No problem."

The Goron chuckled—a noise like grinding stone—and before Link could react, it picked him up and threw him roughly over its hard shoulder. Link swore. The Goron ignored him, casually ambling over towards a large, fifteen foot high stone slab.

"I can walk you know!" Link shouted, struggling vainly, "Is this any way to treat Princess Zelda's emissary?"

"I know you can walk, but I do not know if you are from the princess," the Goron replied. It knocked its fist twice against rock face. The two round boulders nearest the stone slab sat up, revealing themselves to be Gorons as well. They nodded to Link's captor, and Link's captor nodded back, then the two each grabbed one end of the massive slab and rolled it out of the way.

Link's mouth fell open. Not only were the Gorons insanely strong to be able to move such a large rock, but behind the rock a gigantic tunnel opened, wide and gaping like the maw of some fantastic beast.

Twenty feet in, the passage opened up into a vast, multi-leveled cavern. Banners and tapestries in rich yellows and reds fluttered near the ceiling, strung together by a network of thick ropes and steel crossbeams. Images of fierce monsters adorned the walls, breathing painted fire above pictures of dancing Gorons, and the stone road that spiraled down to the distant floor was lined with ruts, undoubtedly formed from years and years of hard use.

All around, Link saw Gorons. They sat quietly in shallow caves, they rested as boulders beside the path, and while Link occasionally saw one Goron roll listlessly towards his fellow to chat, for the most part the people seemed to be as lifeless as ordinary stone. A few turned their heads as Link's captor carried him past, but they did no more than sigh.

"Is… is it always this quiet, here?" Link asked, hardly daring to raise his voice above a whisper and break the pervasive quiet.

The Goron shook his head. "My brothers are tired of resting, but with the mountain as it is we cannot do much else and we do not have energy to waste. It is sad for the miners to have no mine, the stonemasons no stone, the metalworkers no metal, and the children no food, but Big Brother can't— …I should say no more."

Link nodded, shifting his weight uncomfortably in the Goron's grip. "It does sound like your people have quite the problem on your hands. What's wrong with the mountain, though? Can you tell me that much?"

The Goron shook his head. "Big Brother will tell you everything that you need to know, little human. Until then, I ask that you stay quiet."

Link almost asked why, but when the Goron tightened his grip on Link's abdomen, Link changed his mind. He contemplated his bruises in silence as the Goron carried him down, further and further and further into the depths of the mountain, until at last they stood before a tall stone door carved with a three-fingered claw—the Gorons' tribal emblem.

Link's captor knocked twice. A voice rang out from behind the stone door. "Go away! I told you—I don't want to be interrupted!"

"Big Brother has been in a bad mood since the mines closed…" Link's captor mumbled, before speaking up again, "Big Brother Darunia, there is a human here to speak with you. He says he comes from the Princess Zelda."

"I"ll believe that when Lizalfos fly. Send him away! I have better things to do than deal with beggars and con artists!"

"Wait!" Link shouted and squirmed as his captor turned to take him away, "Wait! No! Put me down! Darunia—Patriarch, please! Hear me out! Zelda said—and my ship—my copilot is going to die if you don't help!"

The voice behind the door was as cold as steel. "Then she dies. Human problems are human problems. We Gorons have our own to worry about."

"No! What is it—Zelda said we have to stand together if we're gonna survive this! Listen—she—she gave me a Gossip Stone—if you don't believe me, you can talk to her directly! Navi, where are you? Back me up here!"

On cue, a blue ball of light descended slowly from the ceiling, pausing directly in front of the door. Navi fluttered for a moment, then a clear human voice emanated from the stone at Link's wrist, singing a low, sweet melody.

_Zelda__… _

Link's heart ceased its panicked pounding, and he let out a quiet sigh. For the first time in far too long, he found himself at peace.

Darunia's door rumbled, griding against the ground as it swung open. Navi flew inside, and Link followed as soon as his captor had returned his feet to the floor.

* * *

The Goron Patriarch stood in the center of his chamber like some sort of lesser god—a mountain of muscle and yellow tribal paint with an impressive mane of hairlike stone. His powerful arms were crossed over his huge barrel chest, and his beady eyes glittered out from his scowling face like blue obsidian.

"That was the song of the Hylian Royal Family," Darunia said. Even his voice was big, deep and rumbling like the growls of the mountain.

"Yes," Zelda said from Link's wrist, "I am Princess Zelda, and this man now standing before you is Link, my agent. I wish to discuss our trade agreement."

"This is about the Din's Blood ore, isn't it?" Darunia asked, turning his back to Link to examine a series of papers spread across the table in the back of the room. Link craned his neck to see over Darunia's shoulder. The papers seemed to be maps, depicting the sprawling tunnels of an expansive mining network.

"Yes," Zelda answered, "it is. War with the Gerudo looms ever nearer, and Hyrule needs Din's Blood now more than ever. If securing a shipment is simply a matter of subverting the Gerudo's pirate network, Link is well prepared to evade their attention."

Darunia looked over his shoulder and gave Link a calculating glance. Link kept his face impassive, doing his best to seem competent.

"So you've gone and recruited yourself a smuggler, eh?" Darunia said, shaking his head slowly, "Well, I'm afraid that won't be enough, Princess. Right now, my brothers don't have any ore to spare."

"What?" Zelda's voice wavered, sharpening in surprise.

Darunia ran a giant hand down his face. "The Gerudo sent a man here—an emissary, he called himself—to 'negotiate.' He delivered me this ultimatum: cease trade with Hyrule Kingdom, or else face the wrath of the Prince of Darkness. I laughed in his face, of course, but now… The mountain shakes. The mines are full of monsters. None of the warriors who have gone to investigate have returned. My brothers… The mines are our life, Princess. We have nowhere to go, nothing to do, and we are running out of stone to eat. The Goron tribe cannot help Hyrule until we help ourselves."

There was a long silence. Link thought of Malon, waiting on the side of the mountain for parts that would never come. He thought of Aryll growing up without him, and what Saria would tell her when he never came home. He thought of Zelda sitting in her throne room, fighting her war alone.

Link cleared his throat quietly. "I'll go."

Darunia stiffened. Zelda made a small noise of surprise.

"Link, what are you…?"

"I'll go," Link repeated, shrugging self-consciously, "_Epona_ is busted. She can't fly without new parts. I can't leave unless the ship can fly, so I may as well make myself useful, if I'm stuck here. Who knows? Maybe I'll be able to help."

Darunia gave Link a stern look. "Little human, my brothers are twice as big and twice as strong as you are. My best warriors have gone down and disappeared in those mines. What makes you think you can succeed where the Goron tribe has failed?"

Link shrugged again. "Nothing, really. I don't pretend to have a better shot. I mean, you're right, you guys are inhumanly strong, inhumanly tough, you know the mines better, and I'm pretty fragile, comparatively speaking. But—you don't seem to have any better plans, and the longer we sit on our hands here, the greater the chance that my copilot ends up proving Death Mountain well-named. If she dies and I could have done something—anything—to stop it, well… I don't know if I'd ever be able to rest easy again."

Darunia frowned at Link, silently working his jaw. "You realize the mines are full of monsters, right?"

Link nodded.

"There are Keese that set themselves on fire to fly at you," Darunia continued, "my brothers have reported armed Lizalfos—fire breathing Dodongos—it's no place for a human. Not to mention the security systems—the Beamos and the Armos won't recognize you. They'll kill you, if the monsters don't get you first."

Link nodded. "Thanks for the warning, I'll be sure to keep an eye out as I go."

"Listen to me, kid, there's a fine line between bravery and suicide, and this crosses it. This is a Goron problem, and its up to me and my brothers to solve it."

Darunia turned back around, signaling the conversation as over.

Link took a deep breath, ready to argue, but Zelda cleared her throat before he could speak.

"Let him try."

"What?" Darunia asked, his voice sharp.

"I said that you should let Link try, Patriarch Darunia. I know you do not know me as you knew my father, but as the daughter of your Sworn Brother, I implore you to trust my word: I firmly believe that Link is more than he seems. He may not have a Goron's strength, but I know he has a hero's heart."

Link felt the heat rush to his face. He stood a little straighter and squared his shoulders.

Darunia glanced at Link again, his expression dismissive. "If he goes in, he's not going to come out. A hero's heart won't help him from the inside of a Dodongo's stomach."

"So I'll be sure not to get eaten," Link snapped, feeling slightly drunk on Zelda's praise and more than a little sick of being talked over. "Do you have any better ideas, Darunia? You need the mines. Zelda needs the ore. Malon needs the ship parts, and all of us need help. Now the way I see it, we can sit here in mutually assured apathy, or we can go ahead and work together to make sure we don't all die. I don't see why you're so opposed—it's my life to lose, isn't it? If I go and get myself killed, you're no worse off than you were before."

Darunia blinked. "I'm trying to do you a favor, kid. This is a Goron problem. You're throwing your life away for nothing."

"No. You're wrong. I'm not. This isn't a 'Goron problem,' either—this affects everyone. Hyrule needs your ore to stop the Gerudo. I need your ore to fix my ship and go home. If the mines stay closed, we all suffer."

Darunia's eyes narrowed. "The problem is in the Goron mines. I don't need a human's help to solve it. This is _my_ tribe, and it's _my_ job to protect it."

Link sighed. "They call you 'Big Brother,' right? The other Gorons? Well, I have someone out there who calls me the exact same thing. You're trying to find a way to protect your family. I'm just trying to find a way to get back to mine. The way I see it, neither of those things is going to happen unless we help each other."

There was another long pause, then Darunia sighed. "Fine. I can see you're not going to listen to sense. There's a shop in the cave on the right. You can get supplies there, if you need them. And you may as well take these, if you're going to be so stubborn." He rummaged around the table for a moment, then handed Link a map and a small cloth sack. "I won't be needing them."

"What's this?" Link opened the sack, and found a pair of tiny rings made out of some jagged red crystal.

"Fireshield earrings. Wear them in the mines, and you won't fall over dead from the heat. You may as well take them. Gorons have no use for them."

"Are you sure?" Link asked, turning the earrings over in his fingers. They looked valuable—he guessed they'd be worth at least a couple hundred Rupees at the market.

Darunia shrugged. "They were made for human ears. What am I supposed to do with them?"

"Take them, Link," Zelda said from the Gossip Stone, "I remember—my father commissioned them during the war, but the supplies were rare and the process was elaborate… By the time that one pair was finished, the war was over. It's very fortunate that you still have them, Patriarch Darunia."

"I saw no reason to throw them away," Darunia said. "Maybe they'll finally prove to have been worth the effort it took to make them."

Link nodded, replacing his old earrings with these new ones as Zelda and Darunia concluded their formalities and said their goodbyes. When Navi at last fluttered back to his side, Link went to leave.

Darunia cleared his throat. Link turned around at the door.

"Good luck, kid," Darunia said, his dark eyes pinning Link in place, "you're gonna need it."

* * *

**Hey! Sorry again about last month being as... uh... disappointing as it was, but here I am, back again! I have a new inspiration and a new computer, so my writer's block is GONE! I'm really looking forward to working on this again, and I'm really excited to get this story REALLY rolling. **

**"Really" seems to be the word of the day today, doesn't it? Hm... I should fix that. There are so many other cooler words out there... Like... "Lethologica," and... uh... "Serendipity."**

**Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this month's chapter, I hope to see you again next month, and I _REALLY _hope you feel free to leave me a review! ...Really. Really really. Reeeaaaaallly. (At this point, that word has begun to lose all meaning in my mind.)**

**Seriously though, have a nice... uh... what is it... October, almost? Yeah. (Ooh, that's exciting, I can't wait for Halloween...) But yes. Focus, Garsson, you have two minutes left before class... Okay.**

** Have a nice month, have a nice day, and have good luck in all things!**

**~Garsson**


	10. Burning Bridges

The tunnel into the mines was dark and steep, winding down into the depths of Death Mountain for what felt like miles. Link walked along it with the brand new shield he'd bought from the Goron shop heavy on his back, and the brand new lantern he'd purchased attached to his belt. He felt completely alone within the little circle of light.

Alone, that is, except for Navi.

"Listen, Link, I'm really proud of you for volunteering for this! And I know Zelda is too! I knew you were a hero, deep down!"

Link sighed softly, scuffing his shoe against the hard stone floor. "Thanks, Navi, but this is the third time you've said that. I'm just as honored now as I was then, so I'd really appreciate it if you'd just… stop repeating yourself, please."

"But it's so exciting!" The little blue fairy performed a loop in the air above Link's head. "This is really starting to feel like an adventure, and I know that we can save the day and fix the mines and—"

"Navi. Shut up. Please, just watch for monsters, alright? I don't need any more Tektites jumping on my head or Keese flying in my face—I had quite enough of that on the way up the mountain. Now that we're in the mountain, we need to be even more careful. Okay?"

"Okay!" Navi did another loop, but once that was out of her system, she contented herself to flying up near the ceiling, back and forth along the corridor as lookout.

Fifteen minutes passed in silence, until the quiet was broken by a chorus of shrill shrieks and sharp whistles.

"Watch out! Keese! Straight ahead!"

"Gotcha!" Link dropped into a crouch and drew his sword, squinting into the darkness ahead. A dark shape flew at him out of the gloom, targeting the light at his waist. Link swung his sword wildly, missing the monster by inches.

"They move erratically, Link! Oh, if only you had a ranged weapon so you could kill them from a distance!"

"Yeah, wouldn't that just make my day?" Link growled. Another Keese flew at him. He chopped it in half with a quick vertical slice. Before the pieces could hit the ground, a third Keese flew at Link's face, crashing into his shoulder and knocking him backwards.

Link swore, killing the creature before it could recover and fly away again.

There were two left. Link could hear their irregular wing beats, but he could not see either of them.

"Navi, can you—"

"There's one over here, Link!" Navi said. She found the Keese in the air and was tailing it closely, illuminating it with her bright blue glow.

Link grinned. When the creature swooped down at him, he swung, neatly slaying it. Then the last Keese hit him from behind, accidentally shattering his lantern. Light bloomed. Glass tinkled against the hard stone floor. Link fell forwards and rolled back to his feet.

"What the—?"

The Keese screamed and returned to the air, flapping its dark wings and fanning the flames that now danced along its body. Link turned and ran.

"Doesn't it care that it's on fire?!" Link shouted as he dashed down the tunnel.

Navi didn't answer, merely prompting Link to duck as the monster swooped down at his head. He threw himself into a roll just as the Keese flew past, its passage casting distracting shadows along the walls. The Keese wheeled around again. Link got his shield on his arm just in time to keep it from slamming into his face.

Link slashed. The Keese died. Navi jingled triumphantly.

"Good thinking, Link! With that metal shield, you won't get burned! Though you know, Darunia said those Fireshield earrings will keep you safe from heat and extinguish flame, so you didn't really have to run away the way you did."

"Run a—Navi! That's not the point! That thing set itself on _fire_ to get at me! Doesn't that strike you as a little bit weird?"

"No. Keese do that, Link. It's quite ordinary."

Link groaned and allowed his shoulders to slump for a moment. Once he had collected himself, he straightened up and smoothed back his hair.

"Okay. Okay. Fire Keese. I can do this. I volunteered, and I guess Darunia did warn me. So I'm prepared. Yup. Totally, completely prepared… What else did he say lived here, Navi?"

Navi flew in a little circle, bobbing around Link's head as he resumed walking. "Don't you remember, Link?"

"Of course I do," Link replied, finally sheathing his sword, "but I don't have a clue what any of the words he said mean, and I didn't think it appropriate to ask, at the time."

Navi chuckled—a quiet, tinkling noise. "Oh, Link, it's easy to be brave when you're clueless, isn't it?"

"What's that supposed to mean?" Link gave her a sharp look.

The fairy fluttered aimlessly—her version of a shrug.

Link sighed. "Never mind. Chances are your warnings wouldn't be much help, anyway. You just keep watch, alright? Otherwise I'll end up clueless _and_ dead."

Navi was about to reply, but she was interrupted by the sight of a large, round door in the wall. She zoomed over to it, all other conversation suddenly forgotten.

"Look, Link! It's a door!"

"Yes, Navi, I can see that."

"You should open it!"

"Thank you, Navi, that's a very insightful observation."

If Navi detected Link's sarcasm, she did not show it. She darted and bobbed around the door like an overzealous fly at a window, examining it from every possible angle.

After a moment, Link cleared his throat. "Do you see a handle anywhere, Navi? Because I don't."

"No, Link. But look! There's a huge set of handprints here! Maybe it rolls?"

Link stepped closer. Sure enough, a set of Goron-sized hands had been painted onto the circular door, and faint nicks and scuffs on the hard surface suggested that it had been rolled aside many, many times.

Link nodded, slinging his shield over his back. "I think you're right. Din help me, this is gonna be a pain…"

"Do you think you're strong enough to push it aside, Link?"

"I'd better be," Link answered, placing his hands inside the painted marks. They looked tiny by comparison. "If I'm not, it's gonna be really embarrassing to have to go back and explain after all the effort it took to get down here. Now let's see…"

He gripped the door as best he could, throwing all his weight into pushing the metal slab sideways. It shifted the barest fraction of an inch. Link growled. He closed his eyes and shoved, and the door rolled a few inches more.

_Just enough__…_

Link opened his eyes again, and worked his way to the left, carefully keeping the door in place as he forced his fingers into the gap between the door and the wall. This grip was better. He readjusted his footing, and shoved.

The door rolled aside. Link caught his breath and grinned.

"Those Gorons aren't the only ones with good arms, eh, Navi?"

Navi giggled. "I'm so proud of you, Link! You opened the door all on your own!"

Link's grin faded by a few degrees. "Don't mock me, okay? That was actually really difficult."

Navi protested and expressed her innocence, but Link waved her argument away. He stepped through the doorway and his mouth fell open.

The heat was like a solid wall, impassible and unbearable. Link's Fireshield earrings chimed in his ears and relieved the worst of it, but still, the wide cavern felt like an oven. Link crept forward warily. He stood on a high stone shelf that connected to the rest of the cavern by way of a rickety metal-mesh bridge and a series of narrow catwalks, and the entire space was lit by an eerie red light that shone up from the distant, strangely shifting floor. Link edged closer to the bridge and tested it with his foot. The clank it made was far from reassuring. For some reason, the metal just in front of him was strangely discolored…

A column of flame fountained up from the ground, filling the air with a beast-like roar. Link scrambled back, startled and swearing.

Navi circled Link quickly to check for injuries, then fluttered down to land on his shoulder. "Watch out, Link! The floor is covered in magma! If you fall in, not even the Fireshield earrings will be able to protect you!"

Link sighed, then climbed back to his feet and dusted himself off. "Right. Okay. The floor is lava… fun…" he murmured.

Navi flapped her wings once. "Magma, Link. It's only lava after it's been—"

"Navi? Please, there's a time and a place. This is the one time I'd like to save the lecture until after it's done being relevant, okay?"

Navi jingled, taking to the air again. "Okay, Link. Now remember, we're gonna need to be extra careful in here, alright?"

"Trust me, I have no intention of ending up fried today," Link said as he stepped back to examine the bridge. Though it was rickety, it seemed strong—it had to be strong, if the Gorons used it—and in most places it the metal shone brightly. However, there were irregularly spaced circles of discolored metal all along the bridge's length, and after watching for a few minutes more, Link realized that every discolored patch marked the location of a fire plume. And there—all the way at the other end of this hellish path—was another waiting door.

Link took a deep breath, whispered a prayed for courage, and ran.

One, two, three plumes spewed up in close succession just as Link passed. A fourth spot began to bubble a mere two feet ahead. Link leapt and rolled, clearing the space half a second before the column of fire roared to life behind him and incinerated everything in its path.

Link staggered a few steps forward and paused for a moment to breathe. He was at the halfway point, now, caught in the middle of the bridge between pillars of incandescent death.

"That's terrifying," he gasped after a moment, "that's—that's… the Gorons work in this place?"

"Uh-huh! They're made of stone, Link. Heat doesn't bother them, and I don't think the mountain is actually this active all the time. Didn't Darunia say the mines were extra dangerous right now?"

"I know he mentioned monsters, but giant pillars of fire never came up," Link grumbled, collecting himself once more. "Farore help us—this place is a deathtrap. I hope—"

At that moment, the mountain shook. The bridge rattled. The magma swelled. Link lost his footing.

He fell before he could think to scream, only barely seizing the edge of the bridge in time. Below him, the molten stone roiled, swelling up and ebbing down as if the mountain itself was breathing.

Link hauled himself back up and lay flat on the bridge, gripping the woven metal hard enough to make his fingers hurt. Was that the mountain shaking, now, or was it just him?

Out of the corner of his eye, Link saw Navi fly in a series of low circles. Checking him for injuries, probably.

"Link! Are you okay? You almost died!"

"I'm fine, Navi. Perfectly okay." Try as he might, Link couldn't hide the tremor in his voice.

Navi landed softly on the back of his head. "Are you sure, Link? If we time it right, we can still go back—"

"No! No—that's not gonna happen. " Link stood and dusted himself off, willing his knees to cease their shaking. "I didn't come all this way just to let a little fire and a bit of a fall scare me off. No, I gotta… I gotta… You want me to be a hero, right, Navi? Well, I'm not, yet. But this is the best chance I'm gonna get to live up to that hype. Are you ready to get back to it?"

The little blue fairy jingled and bobbed her willing assent. Link grinned.

When the fire finally fell, Link was ready. The moment the bridge was passable, he dashed, reaching the end with time to spare. The stone shelf was superbly solid under his feet, and Link felt his spirits lift as he shoved the door aside and left the burning bridge behind him.

* * *

The next room was dark enough to leave Link feeling blind after the brightness of the magma cave. Even the set of torches that sputtered and sparked by the door seemed dim after the intense incandescence of the molten stone. When Link's eyes finally adjusted to the relative darkness, he made out a small circular chamber with two passages, one branching out to the left and the other winding away to the right. A few random crates sat in the middle of the cave, as well as a few clay pots, but other than that, the chamber was bare.

He pulled the folded map Darunia had given him from his pocket and squinted at it, holding the heavily-creased sheet of paper up to the light. He could just make out the faint rectangle marked over the room beyond the left-hand passage, as well as a hastily scribbled note—something about a key. Sure enough, when Link glanced down the right-hand corridor, he saw that its door was locked by a set of heavy chains held together by a massive padlock. However, when Link looked down the left-hand passage, he found that its door was barred as well—by actual bars—with no lock in sight.

"Well… That's inconvenient. What do you think, Navi?"

The fairy flew around the room, inspecting it, then returned to hover over Link's right shoulder. "Well, you need a key for the one door, but you don't have a key… But I'm sure Darunia would have given you a key, if he thought you needed one. I bet it's being kept safe elsewhere, just in case someone wanders in who's not supposed to be here. Maybe behind that other door?"

"Okay, sure, I'll buy that. But then how the heck am I supposed to get to it when it's locked up even tighter?"

"Maybe there's a secret switch or something, Link! I mean, there has to be a way through! The mines can't be completely sealed off!"

"A secret switch, eh? That would make as much sense as anything else does… Let's see—if I were a switch, where would I hide?" Link looked around the room again. "If I were designing this place, and I wanted to lock the key to the door behind another door, and I didn't want anyone to know except the people who were supposed to know… Well, then I'd have it hidden in such a way that only those in the know could access it. Just like… Just like our cargo hold."

Link paced forwards, casting a new eye over the room, searching for the telltale scuffs that might reveal a pressure switch.

"Just like your cargo hold? What do you mean, Link?"

"I'm a smuggler, Navi. You weren't there, but Groose caught me when he accidentally pushed a crate over our secret switch. He got lucky—it was one in a million that he'd do what he did—but he did and he found us. Now please, give me a minute. I can figure this out of you just let me think."

Navi jingled a quiet assent and settled on Link's shoulder. Link bit the inside of his cheek.

There were three crates in the room, all of them identically marked with the Goron emblem. He gave one a tap with his foot. It seemed solidly built and extremely heavy, not that that mattered to a Goron. Tilting his head for a better angle, Link knelt down and brushed the floor with his fingers. Light though they were, Link felt a series of long, ragged scratched carved into the stone. He grinned.

"You might want to get off my shoulder, Navi. I'm gonna push this."

Navi obliged, cheering Link on. Link shook out his arms, rolled his neck, then braced himself against the crate, throwing all his weight against it. It shifted one inch, then another, then another, until a large square pressure pad popped up out of the ground under Link's feet.

Link stepped aside, breathing heavily. The bars over the left-hand door receded into the ceiling with a loud metallic clang. Link nodded, satisfied. Navi landed again on his shoulder.

"Good job, Link! Now, be careful, okay? I'm sure it's only going to get more dangerous from here on in!"

"Of course it is," Link replied, chuckling softly as he brushed himself off and straightened his gear, "I'm not lucky enough for these things to ever come easy. Let's just pray this next door is lighter than the first two."

It wasn't, of course, but Link pushed it open all the same.

* * *

The room beyond the left-hand door was small and circular, more an oddly-shaped hallway than a chamber in its own right. Strange, misshapen skulls from some unknown breed of monster littered the floor, and in the center of the room, a rectangular pillar stood watch, the gleaming red crystal set at its top staring out with an odd, inanimate malevolence.

"Navi, what is—"

"Watch out! Incoming Keese!"

Link hit the floor. He felt the rush of wind as the monster passed an inch over his head, then heard the shriek and the thud as it slammed heavily into the back wall and tumbled to the ground.

"Kick it, Link! Before it gets back in the air!"

Link did. His foot caught the Keese just as it was starting to shake itself off and flipped the little monster end over end towards the center of the room.

The pillar buzzed and clanked to life. The red crystal glowed. The pillar shifted. A beam of intense light shot out and incinerated the Keese before it had a chance to move. The pillar gave a low whine and settled back into its lifeless sleep.

Link blinked, his mouth shaping words he could not articulate.

"Wha—what was… What just…"

"That's a Beamos, Link. I think it's part of the Goron's security system. Beamos see the heat that most creatures give off, and they blast everything they see. But Gorons are made of stone and don't give off heat, so all the Goron workers are safe. But you're not a Goron, Link, so if you get too close, it will see you and probably try to blast you."

"Well… That explains the monster skulls, at least. How do I—how do I get past it?"

Navi fluttered in place for a long moment, thinking.

"Well, normally I'd tell you to destroy its eye, because it can't kill you if it can't see you, but since you don't have any sort of projectile weapon, I don't think you can do that without getting killed."

"I suppose it's too much to hope these earrings will protect me?"

"I don't know, Link. They take a moment to kick in, and while they might keep you alive, I think that beam will still have enough time to really hurt you before they can activate."

"Of course. Perfect. So what do I do, then? How do I get through here if I can't fight it and I don't have a way to blind it?"

Navi landed on Link's shoulder again, her wings drooping dejectedly. "Um… Run fast and pray?"

"Marvelous. I seem to be doing a lot of that, all of a sudden. Right. Well, here goes nothing…"

Link took a deep breath and bolted. The Beamos hummed to life again, its crystal eye charging in an instant to fire after Link's heels. He could feel the heat on the back of his legs—he could hear the sizzle of the air frying behind him.

Link hurled himself forward, rolling the last few feet. The beam of light followed Link to the edge of the circle—and stopped. The deathly hum of machinery petered and died. The Beamos went still. Link gave a small chuckle and dusted himself off.

"Alright. That wasn't too bad," he said, as he grabbed the next door and shoved it aside. "The key should be up through here, I think."

The instant he was through the doorway, the stone slab slid back into place behind him, and a set of steel bars slammed down from the ceiling, sealing Link's only way out. Startled, he swore and jumped forward, accidentally bumping into one of the strange, grotesque iron statues that crouched in the center of the room.

The moment Link's skin made contact with the cold metal, the statue opened it's massive singular eye and rumbled to life, opening its gaping mouth to roar at Link. Link leapt backwards, stumbling into the second statue. It shook and rumbled. Link swore, dashing back towards the wall before anything worse could happen.

To his horror, the statues followed, hopping after him on their carven, inanimate legs. Their giant green eyeballs glowed bright in the dim room, the eerie light reflecting wickedly off their jagged, rough-cut teeth.

"Navi! What are these things?" Link cried, drawing his sword and swinging at the nearest statue. His blade clanged uselessly against the living steel. He felt a fearful chill creep through his blood. "What do I do?!"

"Armos, Link! Another part of the Goron security! When you get too close, they wake up and try to jump on you—but if you can shatter the crystals they all have on their backs, you should be able to break them completely!"

"And how do I do that? How do I get behind them when they're chasing me?" Link asked, frantically backpedaling around the walls of the room. Thankfully, the Armos didn't seem very smart—they chased him mindlessly and made no effort to actively surround him, but Link knew he would not be able to run forever.

"I—I don't know, Link! Maybe—maybe if you can find a way to stun them? Or if you can get far enough away, they'll deactivate, or—"

"I'm trapped in a small round room! There's nowhere to run, Navi!"

"I don't know, Link! I don't know I don't know I don't know!"

Link gritted his teeth and tried to get a handle on his wits. Though the Armos seemed relentless, there had to be a way to stop them—had to be something he could do to save himself. If they weren't made of metal, the Armos would be almost harmless—the things were slow, and they stopped moving completely every few moments to roar at him, but with nowhere to go and no way to fight them, Link felt his luck quickly running out.

"Hey! Listen! Look over here, Link!" Navi squeaked, jingling frantically.

"I'm kinda busy at the moment!" Link shouted back, risking a quick glance over his shoulder. "What is it?" He stumbled slightly. One of the Armos caught up with Link and threw its weight mercilessly against him, knocking Link flat on his back. He couldn't breathe—but he couldn't wait. Bruised and gasping, Link scrambled back to his feet and kept running.

"I found some bomb flowers, Link! Growing here, in the center of the room!"

Link couldn't find enough air to reply, but an insane spark caught fire in his panicked mind, bringing light to an even crazier idea. Link sprinted towards the room's center. The Armos hopped after him, falling ever so slightly behind.

Link pulled a bomb flower up by its roots. The faint sizzling of its natural fuse seemed louder than everything, except perhaps Link's own racing heart. He forced himself to wait, and wait, and wait—

The nearest Armos stopped to roar. Link shoved the bomb into its gaping mouth, dashed across the room, and raised his shield. The Armos began to glow. Hairline cracks appeared on its smooth iron face. The thing growled and whirred and shrieked and spun in wild circles—and shattered into a thousand tiny pieces. Shrapnel flew everywhere, pinging against Link's shield. He felt something sharp graze his arm, but he didn't have time to register it.

The second Armos was closing in. Link sucked down a deep gasp of air, dashed back into the center of the room, and grabbed another bomb flower. When the Armos stopped to roar, Link stuffed the flower in its mouth and retreated again. Only when the Armos was gone did Link allow himself to breathe. He leaned against the wall and sank down to the floor to sit.

Instantly, Navi was in his face. "Link! Are you okay? That was brilliant! How did you know that would work?"

Link waited until he could breathe before answering. "I… I didn't. Just sorta… went for it."

"Well, it worked, and that was brilliant! Are you gonna to do the same thing for the last one?"

Link looked up. He had forgotten about the third Armos statue—it was still sitting inanimately where it had sat before, immobile, and apparently harmless.

Link sighed and got back to his feet. "No, Navi, I'd really rather not. This time, I'm going to do things the smart way."

He walked up behind the Armos, raised his sword, and rapped his hand against the back of its head. The Armos' activated, and the crystal on its back began to glow green. Link stabbed his sword through the stone before the thing could open its eye. The mechanical hum stopped. The Armos deactivated and fell dead.

On cue, a small hatch opened in the ceiling, dropping a shining silver key to the floor by Link's feet. Link picked it up and grinned.

"Well, Navi, it looks like I can finally enter the mines for real, now. Do you think I can make it?"

"Of course, Link! The hardest part might be still ahead, but I know we can handle it together!"

* * *

**Ah, autumn... The fire-colored leaves, the pleasant chill in the air, the knowledge that tomorrow I get to dress up as a clown and scare everyone who comes too near... I love October! Happy Halloween, people, I hope you enjoyed this month's chapter of Red Lion's Flying! **

**Thanks to everyone who left a review, last time. I love seeing what you think each month-it does a lot to keep me fighting when writer's block inevitably rears its ugly head. Thanks for reading, and thanks for coming so far with me. **

**Anyway, next month is November, and you know what that means? Nanowrimo! (If you don't have a clue what that string of letters means, it's NAtional NOvel WRIting MOnth, a contest-thing where a bunch of people all get together on the internet and try to write 50,000 words in about 30 days. It's totally crazy, but also a lot of fun.) I intend to participate again this year, and while I'm going to try to get next month's chapter finished on the side in addition to my novel, there's a very good chance I won't be able to pull it off.**

**I'm going to try, but even if I can't get it done by the deadline, I WILL have another chapter by the month after. Because I know how annoying extended delays can be, and I don't want to do that to anyone. **

**So yeah. Thanks again for reading, and thanks to those of you who decide to review! I'll see you all next time! **

**Have a happy Halloween! **

**~Garsson**


	11. Lizalfos

The heat was first thing Link noticed upon unlocking the door. It was a dry heat—the kind that left him feeling like a piece of stale toast in the fire. Though his Fireshield earrings kept his skin unburned, the wave of oppressive heat stole his energy and fried his brain.

_Water__… water would be nice._

The second thing Link noticed was the fire. Fire was everywhere around the room—it spurted up from the floor in random fountains of red and orange light, it carpeted the cave floor, it danced along the ceiling and made the chamber feel more like a furnace than like any sort of mine. There were only a handful of spots on the ground that weren't glowing incandescent red—stepping stones of grey rock amidst the magma.

_Water would be very nice__…_

The third thing Link noticed was the lizard on the center platform. Roughly the size of a man, the creature stood in the center of the room, head bowed as though it were asleep on its feet. A great, wickedly curved scimitar sat delicately between its long black claws, and the teeth poking out from its powerful jaw were sharp and jagged and deadly. As if that weren't enough, the creature was covered in hard-looking green scales, overlapped like so many shining gems, and most of its torso was protected by thick, crudely-made armor.

"Navi, what is that?" Link whispered, barely daring to breathe.

"It's a Lizalfos, Link. They're a dangerous race that lives in the depths of the earth—they're known to hire themselves out as mercenaries for evil men. They're strong, but their greatest assets are their speed and their cunning. Though they're not actually incredibly smart, they have incredible reflexes, and they have an instinct for battle like no other. I bet the Gorons locked that door we just opened to keep the monsters like this inside… You'd better be careful, Link!"

"No thanks."

"What? What do you mean, 'no thanks' Link! You gotta be careful, Lizalfos are—"

"I mean, 'no thanks, I don't feel like dealing with that right now,' Navi. Now shh—I know what I'm doing."

Navi jingled softly, but was otherwise quiet. The Lizalfos snorted in its sleep and twitched its sword.

Biting his lip, Link edged into the room. He crept forward until his toes were level with the edge of his stone platform, then he jumped towards the center stone, landing as lightly as he could. The Lizalfos twitched again, rasping something inaudible in an inhuman tongue. Link held his breath. The Lizalfos settled back to sleep. Link exhaled a slow sigh of relief and crept forward again.

He inched past the monster, getting as close to the edge of the platform as he could without falling into the magma below. The Lizalfos yawned and rolled its neck on its wiry shoulders. Link froze. The Lizalfos did not move again. Link mouthed a prayer and leapt to the next platform.

His foot slipped against the smooth stone. He screamed despite himself, throwing all his weight forward, away from the molten magma. He hit the ground with a thud. Despite the heat, his blood was ice.

A rough grunt sounded behind him, followed by a low hiss. There was a skitter and a click of claws, then a rush of air. A shadow fell on Link's face. He looked up. The Lizalfos cocked its head and roared at him.

Before Link could truly process what was going on, he found himself on his feet with his sword in his hand and his heart racing.

The Lizalfos cocked its head the other way and roared again, tensing its muscular legs. Link slipped his shield onto his arm, not daring to look away.

The Lizalfos leapt. Link raised his shield. The monster's sword clanged to a halt a handspan away from his face. Link shoved, slamming his shield into the monster's chest and swinging his own sword in a counter blow. The Lizalfos staggered and leapt backwards, landing well out of Link's reach.

They paused for a moment to circle each other, both analyzing the flaw in the others' stance. Link darted forward, thrusting his blade at the patch of exposed underbelly visible below the Lizalfos' patchwork armor. The Lizalfos recoiled and sprang, leaping over Link's head and landing behind him. Link dove forward just in time to feel the wind of the Lizalfos' strike ruffle his hair. He landed hard, far too close to the magma for comfort.

The creature roared and jumped again, landing in front of Link before he could stand. Link threw himself sideways just as the creature's sword plunged down. The blade missed his cheek by inches.

He scrambled to his feet. The Lizalfos made a hissing, clicking noise—like laughter. Link gritted his teeth and readied his blade.

Again, the Lizalfos jumped at him, twirling in midair to deliver a strong horizontal slash. Link blocked it, but the force of the blow pushed him a step back towards the magma. The Lizalfos jumped away before he could counter, then sprang again, sweeping its blade down at him so he was forced to dodge even closer to the liquid fire.

"Link! Be careful! You're getting awfully close to the edge!"

"Gyah!" was all Link could say in response as the Lizalfos hissed and slashed at Link's head.

Link ducked, bashing again with his shield, shoving the creature towards the magma. He swung his sword downward just as the Lizalfos jumped—and the monster's own momentum drove its head into his falling blade.

The creature screamed and reeled, stumbling backwards and clutching at its face. Link rushed in and smacked it with his shield again. It tumbled backwards and fell into the bubbling magma.

Link covered his eyes with his hands to block the sudden flash of light, wincing at the Lizalfos' dying scream. The smell of charred lizard-flesh filled the air. Link choked.

"That… that didn't go quite as planned…" he gasped between coughs.

"Are you okay, Link? You're not hurt, are you? Maybe you should take a break and rest for a while!"

"Rest? Here? Are you kidding? No thanks, Navi. I'll… I'm fine. I'll be okay."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm sure… I can rest when I'm out of here." Link sighed. "For now, we should just keep moving forward."

* * *

**Hello, world! It's nice to see you, again!**

**Thanks for reading this month's chapter of Red Lions Flying, and I would be absolutely honored if you'd leave a review for me. It's always helpful when I can see what you think, and your feedback helps me make each chapter as good as it can possibly be.**

**Now, I have a whole lot of exciting news to share with you!**

**First: NaNoWriMo has been going great****—I'm halfway through the story I started, and I'm right on target to reach 50,000 words by the end of the month. Hopefully, if I can sustain this pace, I'll have the whole novel finished within another month or two, and I can start the editing process soon.**

**Second: I started a blog! And not just any blog****—a writing blog! There are links on my profile, if you'd like to stop by, and if you have any questions you'd like to ask me about stories or about the craft, I'd be more than happy to try and answer them for you. Talking about writing is kind of my favorite thing, after actually writing. Well, playing Zelda is pretty high up there, too, but you get my point.**

**Anyway, I plan to post something new there every Sunday.**

**And third, the most exciting news of all: my novel, _Wardbreaker_, has entered the final rounds of editing! If you enjoy Red Lions Flying, you should go check out the sample chapter I have posted on my website. There are links on my profile, and I'll post more information as I get closer to publication.**

**It's pretty awesome, even if I do say so myself. **

**So yeah, thanks for reading, thanks for reviewing, and thanks for stopping by! **

**Happy Holidays, and have a nice month!**

**~Garsson**


	12. Out of the Loop

"Navi, how long has it been?" Link asked as he pushed open what felt like the thousandth heavy stone door.

"What do you mean, Link?" Navi answered, landing lightly on Link's shoulder.

"How long's it been? Since I came down here, I mean. Without the sun to count the days, I… I just don't know anymore."

Navi chuckled, fluttering up to bump against Link's cheek. "Oh, don't be dramatic, Link! It hasn't been that long! Yes, we have been wandering in circles for quite a while, but I'm sure we'll find our way soon enough!"

"Yeah, find our way, sure," Link grumbled, sighing as he smoothed back his hair and collected himself. "Okay, Navi, remind me—what am I doing here again?"

"You agreed to try and find out what's wrong with the mines and help make them safe for mining again, because otherwise Princess Zelda and Malon won't get the supplies they both—"

" No, no, I know that bit." Link pulled the well-creased and now slightly singed map from his pocket and leaned himself against the wall to examine it. "I meant here in this particular cave—I've been through here at least four times—been through all of these caves and tunnels at least four times—and now I can't for the life of me remember why I thought it would be a good idea to try this one again. Do you have any idea what Nayru-blasted notion was running through my head when I made that decision? Because I don't. But I know there was a reason."

"Um… Let's see…" Navi jingled softly and fluttered her wings, hovering a few inches above the map. Link ran a hand down his face and suppressed a cough. His eyes felt dry, almost hard-boiled, and he could not free his throat from the taste of soot and iron and rotten-egg sulfur. When this mess was all over, Link resolved to ask about the Gorons' famous hot springs. A long, relaxing soak had never sounded better.

"What was this room again, Link?" Navi asked, motioning towards a long, vaguely squiggly rectangle.

"That was the one where all the Fire Keese ambushed me right after I opened the door."

"Oh, right! And this one?"

"If I recall, that hallway was the one where I had to bomb my way past those three Lizalfos who'd set up a guard."

"That's it! Sorry, I should have recognized it from the shape. And this one here?"

"Chamber with the rising lava."

"Magma, Link. What about this one?"

"Collapsing floor."

"Right, okay, I think I've got it now. And we're in this room here, now, right?" Navi indicated a rather plain, square-ish box, almost indistinguishable from all the other plain, square-ish boxes on the map.

Link fought back a weary sigh and nodded. "Uh-huh, as best as I can figure, yeah."

"I know! I remember now! In that cave three doors back, right after that chunk of wall fell on your head, Link! You—that was it, you shouted something about how all the rooms so far have tried to kill you except this one!"

"Right," Link mumbled, gingerly touching the small lump on the back of his skull, "I remember now—I said that this was the only room that hadn't yet tried to murder me, so obviously I must've missed something important. Okay, that almost sounds logical. Now the question is: what did I miss?"

Navi flew in a tiny circle, then bobbed in a fairy shrug. "I don't know, Link, but I'm sure you'll figure it out! You've done wonderfully well so far!"

"You keep saying that Navi, and I'm glad you have so much faith and stuff, but really. Please. My ego does not need boosting, I'm sure Malon would gladly tell you it's puffed enough as is. I'm just—I'm exhausted, my brain feels melted, and the rest of me is half-fried. But I can't leave until I do the thing I came here for and to do that, I need to find my way out of this loop I've gotten trapped in, and to do _that_ I need to think straight and that doesn't seem to be happening right now because even now I'm just rambling and—" Link sucked in a deep breath and exhaled an abrupt sigh. "Sorry… I guess I'm just feeling a bit out of my depth, here. What I'm trying to say, Navi, is that I appreciate the supportive outlook, but I'd prefer… I dunno, actual support, I guess. Could you look around—let me know if you see anything you think is important that I might have missed? I swear, I've passed through these rooms so many times, I don't think I'm seeing them properly anymore."

Navi chimed and bobbed in the air again. "I understand, Link! I'll see what I can do!"

Without another word, she bobbed away, floating up and around the room, examining the walls and ceiling as Link kicked around the edges of the room for anything he might have missed. There had to be something—some way to go deeper into the mines. He just couldn't find it. But there had to be somethi—

"Watch out!"

Without thinking, Link hurled himself aside and drew his sword. Behind him, something hit the ground with a sticky, sucking plop.

A red puddle of translucent goo quivered on the ground where Link had been standing, pulsing faintly in the dim light. As Link stared, it began to ooze forward, gaining height and mass as it went, until it stood roughly half Link's height. Two bulbous eyes took shape in the mass, coalescing into twin, staring orbs of purple and yellow.

Link took a step back. Two more gelatinous shapes dropped down from the ceiling, splattering on the ground like a pair of perverse raindrops. All three blobs slid towards Link across the stone.

"Navi… what's this?" Link asked, edging backward and holding his sword out to threaten the animate mess.

"ChuChus, Link! They're blobs of living jelly! They hunt by smothering and absorbing their prey, so be careful not to let them engulf you! Though I guess if they did, it wouldn't be too bad—these red ones—their remains can be refined to make a painkiller, so at least it wouldn't hurt."

"Oh, great," Link muttered, adjusting his grip on his sword as the lead ChuChu wobbled forward, bending slowly forward as it oozed, "I might die, but at least I'll die numb. Wait… Painkiller? You mean this is what I—"

The bent ChuChu unbent suddenly, springing forward and knocking against Link's shield. Link staggered back, crying out as the red mass slid up to his feet and sucked at his boots. He flailed with his sword, stabbing down at the thing's transparent bulk. His sword passed through its body with almost no resistance, carving the one puddle into two.

He stepped back, grimacing as the soles of his boots clung to the sticky substance. "Okay… that wasn't too bad…"

"Watch out, Link—it's not dead!"

"What?"

The two puddles on the ground shook, trembling and roiling as they crawled across the floor to reunite with each other. The ChuChu reformed, taking shape again. As if that weren't enough, the other red blobs oozed up to it as well, joining with the first monster to create an even bigger entity. It was as tall as Link, now. A split opened up in the space beneath the thing's eyes—a vast, hungry grin, dripping with globules of flame-colored slime.

Link opened his own mouth, and then shut it again. The ChuChu wobbled menacingly, then coiled itself to spring.

Link sheathed his sword and ran.

The monster leapt, splattering on the ground directly behind Link. Droplets of goo flew everywhere, sticking in Link's hair and sliding uncomfortably down the back of his neck. Link ran faster, tripping and stumbling as the ooze attempted to glue his feet to the floor.

"You have to fight it, Link! If you chop it into small enough pieces, maybe it'll stop!"

"No! It's gonna eat me!" Link shouted, throwing himself at the nearest door. He heaved the stone aside and let it slam shut behind him, collapsing against it with a breathless sigh. He could feel the reverberations as the ChuChu threw itself against it, but the monster could not get through.

Link sighed again, then choked on his own breath as he found himself face-to-face with a gigantic, grey-scaled monstrosity. Its face was a mask of hard stone, crested with sharp spines, and filled with sharper teeth.

The thing opened its mouth and inhaled a deep breath. The back of it's throat started to glow ominously.

Link screamed and dove aside just as a plume of orange fire barreled out of the monster's mouth and seared the door where he had stood.

"Navi—!"

"Dodongo!" The fairy cried, answering Link's question before he could ask it, "Strong outside! Weak inside! Moves slow—go for the tail!"

Link shouted an inarticulate reply, yelling as he drew his sword and swung it towards the Dodongo's orange-tinted tail. He missed. The Dodongo twisted around. Link's sword smacked ineffectually against the creature's side. The monster's tail smacked hard into Link's side.

Link went flying. He hit the floor, stars exploding across his vision. A rush of air signaled the creature preparing another burst of fire. Link scrambled to his feet and ran. A pillar of fire singed his heels.

Link's ears rang. His head spun. Sticky Chu jelly clung to his clothes, choking him with its sickly sweet scent. The floor rumbled as the Dodongo turned after him, step by ponderous step.

Link whirled around, brandishing his blade as soon as he felt the distance was safe. The Dodongo growled at him. It's throat started to glow. Link snarled back, baring his teeth in reply.

The thing opened its mouth wide, sucking in another huge breath. Link lunged forward, jamming his sword down the monster's throat.

His blade pierced the soft flesh of the Dodongo's mouth. It screamed, clamping it's jaws together just as Link withdrew his arm. Its teeth scraped his skin, shredding his shirtsleeve and lacerating the skin beneath.

Link swore, kicking the Dodongo's head and whirling around to hack at its tail in a fevered flurry. When the haze of battle cleared from his mind and his vision, Link realized that the Dodongo was already dead.

His knees gave out beneath him, and Link fell to the floor beside the monster's bleeding corpse. His breath was ragged, and when he looked at his hands, he found them to be shaking.

Navi wafted down, landing lightly upon Link's shoulder. "Are… you okay?"

"Yeah… Yeah, I'm fine," Link answered, clearing his throat and absently peeling a strip of shirt away from his wounded arm, "I'm fine. Completely fine. It's just a scratch." He could hear the detachment in his own voice and cleared his throat again.

"Good… because… did you notice the hole?"

"What hole?" Link looked up from his arm to glance around the room for the first time.

Out beyond the dead Dodongo, a cavernous pit gaped wide across the floor, yawning a thin black smoke from the abyss. The earth shook violently. A noise like a roar filled the chamber.

Link felt the blood drain from his face. "Navi… what do you think is down there?"

"I… I don't know, Link. But there's no other door. The only thing left to do is find out."

* * *

**Guess what?! I'm not dead! Seriously sleep deprived and busy as all-get-out, maybe, but I'm alive and ready to get back to business!**

**I'd like to apologize for the unplanned hiatus, too. I'm afraid life rather got the best of me for a while there, but I promise I'll try not to let it happen again. This story is only just beginning to get somewhere, after all, and it would be a shame to let everything fall by the wayside... **

**Anyway, thank you for reading and sorry for making you wait. I hope to see you again next month! **

**This time I'll be punctual. I promise.**

**~Garsson**


	13. Kings and Queens

"Navi, is this really the only option?" Link asked, swallowing hard. He'd found a long length of chain attached to a hook—undoubtedly a tool used for hauling around heavy crates full of ore—and was in the process of securing it to an outcropping of stone on the edge of the pit.

Navi flitted around his head, jingling nervously. "Well, no, but it is if you want to go forward, Link! And Darunia and Malon and Zelda would all be disappointed if you had to go back without finding what's wrong with the mines!"

Link sighed, giving the makeshift grappling hook a tug. It seemed stable. He checked the makeshift bandage on his arm. It, too, seemed secure. "True enough… To be honest, after that speech I made earlier, and after everything I've done so far… I'd be pretty disappointed in myself if I turned back now, too."

He kicked the length of chain into the pit and waited until the clattering echo stopped reverberating through the cavern. The earth shook, and another great roar shattered the air.

Link closed his eyes for a moment. "Nayru guide me, Farore protect me, and Din give me strength… Goddesses above, please don't let me die today."

With that, Link took hold of the thick chain and lowered himself into the pit, Navi hovering by to light his way.

* * *

The climb to the bottom felt as though it took ages. Hand over hand, Link descended, and with every inch he traveled, the air got hotter, the rumbling earth got louder, and the more Link became convinced that he was acting upon a terrible idea.

"Navi," he muttered through clenched teeth, not daring to look down and risk losing his grip, "can you tell how much farther it is to the bottom?"

Navi's bell-like chime was quiet and subdued. "Not too much farther. But… Link?"

"Yeah?"

"There's something down there. Something big."

Link took a deep breath and swallowed his fear. "Can you tell what it is, Navi?"

Before she could answer, an earthquake shook the world. Link lost his grip on the chain, falling down towards the deep unknown.

Link hit the ground hard. The impact knocked the air from his lungs and sent a flurry of blurry stars before his eyes. When his vision cleared, Link found himself staring into the biggest mouth he had ever seen.

The monster roared, shaking the earth and sending a wave of stinking wind through the pit. Teeth the size of daggers gleamed by the light of the creature's internal furnace. The thing inhaled, pulling Link in with its breath. Its throat glowed like the sun.

Link screamed, rolling away and scrambling to his feet just in time for a massive plume of fire to sear the spot he'd just abandoned. Even with his Fireshield earrings, he could feel the burning heat on his skin.

The creature stomped after him, swinging its head around and thrashing with its tail. Each step it took caused the earth to shake. Link nearly lost his footing. He thanked the Goddesses the monster was slow.

It planted its huge, three-toed feet and opened its mouth to roar again. Link yelled back, drawing his sword and darting past to stab at the monster's tail.

His blade glanced off without leaving so much as a scratch. Thick, grey-green plates covered the monster's body from head to tail, strange crystal growths adorned its neck and shoulders, and a high crest of bone and horn protruded from the monster's head like a spiked crown. Not even its underbelly was weak, and Link did not dare get close enough to try to stab the inside of its throat.

"Navi! What do I do?" Link shouted, leaping away as the monster brought its foot down at him. He ducked and rolled, putting as much distance as he could between himself and the terrible lizard.

"I—I don't know, Link! I don't know! It looks like a Dodongo, but I've never seen one this big before! It's—it's—I think it's a King Dodongo!"

"A what?!"

The monster inhaled. Link held his ground, diving aside just as it spat another plume of fire at him. He gritted his teeth and hit the ground running.

"A King Dodongo, Link! It's a huge Dodongo that eats everything—incredibly dangerous! This must be what's wrong with the mines! I bet—I bet the Goron warriors trapped it in this pit to stop it rampaging out and eating everyone! You have to kill it, Link!"

"How?!"

"I don't know! Try—try… I bet its insides aren't armored, Link! You could kill it from the inside!"

"Navi, I'm not about to let it eat me!"

Navi sounded like she was about to cry. "I don't know what to do, Link! I'll—I'll call Zelda! She can help!"

The fairy flew into the air and froze, and the Gossip Stone at Link's wrist began to glow. A low hum filled the rumbling air, but nothing happened. Link swore.

The King Dodongo let loose another roar, but instead of belching forth a stream of flame, it folded upon itself, tucking into a huge ball and rolling at Link with the force of an avalanche.

Link threw himself to the side. He could feel the rush of wind as the monster barreled past him. The King Dodongo hit the wall of the pit with enough force to shake the mountain.

Link dashed up to stab it white it was dazed, but its armor was again too strong to scratch. The monster uncurled, and Link was forced to retreat to the other side of the pit.

"Link!" Navi cried, "I can't get through! Some kind of dark power is blocking the signal!"

Link screamed a wordless reply as the King Dodongo sent another blast of fire his way.

Navi fluttered in a helpless circle above the battlefield. "Don't worry, Link! Maybe—maybe if I try again I'll get through!"

She froze again to try to make the call, but Link ignored her. His attention was fixed on the King Dodongo. It opened its mouth as if to roar again, but instead, a terrible guttural noise escaped from its throat, along with a series of strange, high-pitched shrieks. Something green and wriggling crawled out of the monster's mouth and fell to the floor, instantly targeting Link. It was about as half long as Link was tall, and its eyes glowed red.

"Navi—I think you were wrong—the King Dodongo—it just—I think it just gave birth!"

There was no response. Navi was too bust trying to call Zelda.

The baby Dodongo slithered at Link. Link backed away. Three more Dodongo-spawn fell from their mother's mouth. Link's back hit the wall of the pit.

The nearest baby leapt at Link's head. He raised his shield, and the creature slammed against it. Link plunged his sword into its soft, grey-green flesh before it could recover. It died with a pitiful shriek, the light in its eyes going out.

Link turned his attention to the three that followed. They all scurried forward with an unstoppable hunger. He gritted his teeth and raised his shield again, grimacing as the gigantic mother Dodongo stomped after them.

An odd flicker near his feet caught Link's eye. The dead Dodongo-spawn twitched, and a faint red light pulsed eerily beneath its thin skin. As Link watched, the flashing grew brighter, became more frequent, until—

Link dove aside just as the baby Dodongo exploded. Bits of seared flesh and charred bone flew in all directions, hitting Link's back as he retreated.

One of the other Dodongo-spawn got caught in the blast. It exploded, too. The two remaining baby Dodongos slithered relentlessly towards Link, neither one of them seeming to notice or care about the blast.

They neared, yipping frantically. The Queen Dodongo opened her mouth and started to inhale. Link jabbed his sword downward, spearing one baby Dodongo through the brain. He kicked at the other one—his foot catching it in just the right spot to send it airborne.

The baby shrieked as it was sucked back into its mother's mouth. The Queen Dodongo stopped, closing its mouth suddenly. A look of dull shock crossed its reptilian face, and there was a muted thump as the baby exploded.

Black smoke bellowed out from between the Queen Dodongo's teeth as it collapsed to the pit floor, stunned. Its mouth lolled open, exposing its thick purple tongue.

Quelling the urge to be sick, Link sprinted in and hacked at the tongue. Once—twice—three times—four—and the tongue was severed.

The Queen Dodongo started to stir. Link panicked, backflipping away before it could rise.

The monster found its feet, thick green blood streaming out from its jaws to steam against the hard stone floor. It stumbled forward and tried to roar. The earth-shaking noise was raw and high with pain.

Link raised his shield instinctively. His blood rushed in his ears—his heart pounded—the sheer thrill of battle erased all petty pains from his mind as the Queen Dodongo curled up and rolled again at Link.

He threw himself sideways, escaping her crushing force by inches. The monster crashed into the wall, but instead of unrolling, the Queen Dodongo changed direction and threw herself at Link again. Link dove aside. The Queen Dodongo brushed into Link as she passed, her scales ripping at the skin of his leg and her momentum throwing him several feet away into the wall.

Link cried out in pain, staggering back to his feet. The Queen Dodongo kept rolling, crashing into the wall again and again until she finally smashed to a halt and uncurled. Link raised his shield again and waited for her next move.

She sucked in a breath and spewed fire in his direction. Link leapt aside, easily escaping the blast. His injured leg nearly gave out on him as he landed, but he kept moving, refusing to give in to such a inconsequential wound.

The Queen Dodongo let loose another terrible cry, and Link saw a fresh wave of babies spilling out from the monster's bloody jaws. Five of them, this time.

Link swore, clenching his jaw and letting his face stretch into a frustrated grin. He muttered a prayer to Din.

The Dodongo-spawn writhed across the stone towards Link, their mouths wide as they cried for his blood. The first one leapt at Link's face. He ducked, stabbing the second and slashing the third as he leapt away from the inevitable explosion. The forth Dodongo baby slammed into Link's bad leg, knocking him over. He hit the ground hard, only barely getting his shield up in time to stop the little monster from taking a chunk out of his face. The fifth Dodongo baby jumped, landing heavily on Link's chest while he was busy fending off its sibling.

Link grabbed it and rolled, pinning the monster beneath him. It squirmed and snapped at his arms, but he held it tight, keeping it far away as he stumbled to his feet. It flailed on it's back for a moment. Link stabbed it before it could right itself.

One baby Dodongo remained—the one that had knocked him over. Link watched it carefully, taking care to keep half an eye on its mother.

The baby Dodongo charged him. The Queen Dodongo roared. Her throat began to glow. Link scooped up the Dodongo-spawn and ran, staggering forward and tossing the creature into the air. Caught in its mother's vacuum breath, the baby Dodongo disappeared behind the Queen Dodongo's bloodied teeth.

The Queen Dodongo coughed, but she was too late to prevent the second muted thump as her baby violently combusted inside her. She fell to the floor, again unconscious.

Link stepped into her open jaws and rammed his sword into the roof of her mouth. Green blood spurted from the wound. The Queen Dodongo convulsed. Link leapt from her mouth. Her gasping breaths choked to a halt, stopping forever.

Link exhaled a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He let his sword fall from his grasp as he sank to his knees. His whole body trembled. Link felt sick.

Suddenly, the Queen Dodongo's corpse turned black, and a sound like crackling flame filled the now-silent pit. As if consumed by her own internal fire, the Queen Dodongo's flesh disintegrated, fluttering away to ash and leaving nothing but her bones behind.

Her bones and… something else.

A clinking sound caught Link's attention. Beneath the Queen Dodongo's bones, a heart-shaped crystal hit the stone floor, pulsing with a bizarre red energy.

Link got on his hands and knees and crawled towards it. He didn't have the energy to stand.

"Link?" A woman's voice echoed through the pit.

"Zelda?" Link looked up. Above him, Navi gave a happy little bob and began to sparkle. The princess' voice rang out clearly from the Gossip Stone at Link's wrist.

"Link—you—Nayru's love, Link—are you alright?"

Zelda seemed genuinely concerned. Link chuckled, his voice cracking with relief as he nodded. "Y-yeah… Yeah, I'm fine. There was—turns out there was a Queen Dodongo in the mines. That's what all the shaking was, and where a lot of the monsters were coming from. No worries now, though. I—I killed it."

"Link, I… I knew I was right about you," Zelda's voice made Link's heart glow with pride, "I knew you would surprise me! Now that you've cleared away the darkness inside these mines, you can go inform Darunia—I'm sure he'll be more than willing to send us the supplies we need!"

"Cleared away darkness? It's still dark, Princess—all I did was kill a monster," Link mumbled, feeling his head beginning to ache as the battle-fervor drained from his system.

"That monster was brought here by evil forces, Link, and its life, I'm sure, was tied to an evil power—drawing more monsters towards it. In slaying the beast, you have released the Gorons from their oppressor and freed them—allowing them now to lend their aid to Hyrule. If that does not count as darkness lifted, Link, than Nayru only knows what does."

"Okay." Link was too tired to argue. The air in the pit was cooling rapidly now that the Queen Dodongo was dead, and Link shivered despite himself.

Zelda's voice grew gentle. "You did well, Link. You have shown bravery on par with any Hylian Knight, and your courage honors me. Rest as long as you must—I'm sure you are weary from your battle. As soon as you are ready, return to the surface. I know the Gorons will be glad of your return."

"Thanks, Princess. Now—uh… Before you go, one question."

"Yes, Link?"

"What's that?"

Link gestured to the pulsing crystal shape on the ground beneath the Dodongo's ribcage. He heard Zelda gasp.

"Link, that's—did the monster have that?"

Link nodded.

"No wonder the Gorons were having trouble… That's a Heart Container, Link—a powerful magical artifact, rumored to be physical proof of the Goddesses' love. Whether or not the rumors are true, they're a powerful source of life energy. If the enemy has the power to harness these… I shall have to ensure that Hyrule is prepared for a long struggle, even with the Gorons as our allies."

"That… sounds pretty important," Link said, inching closer towards the crystal. It was almost close enough to reach.

"Important is an understatement. May I ask that you retrieve the Container, Link? An artifact such as this has the potential to do great good for the Hylian people."

"Sure, Princess. Of course." As Link reached out his hand, he could feel the power buzzing against the tips of his fingers. It was warm—pleasantly so, like a hug from a dear friend.

"Just take care transporting it, Link. Complete Heart Containers are difficult to work with, because they—"

Link's hand closed around the crystal heart. Warmth flowed over him, soothing his wounds and knitting his flesh back together as though it had never been torn. His fatigue was gone, his aches were gone—Link felt fine. In fact, he felt better than fine. Suddenly, Link felt as though he could take on the world.

The crystal Heart Container melted away in his hand. The warmth faded, but the sensation of strength and wellness did not. Link got to his feet.

"—meld with the spirit of any living thing that touches them…" Zelda finished, a quiet sigh in her voice. "Link, that Heart Container could have provided the Hylian army with unknowable assets—please, if ever the occasion arises again, wait for me to finish explaining before you go about touching artifacts of magical importance. You never know what they might do to you."

"Oops. My bad, your Highness," Link said, stretching his arms and legs to test his newly-healed wounds, "I guess until that point, I'll just have to be asset enough. I hope you don't mind having to make do."

Link could not tell if the sound Zelda made was a chuckle or a sigh. "Indeed… I suppose, if nothing else, I shall be glad that you are now healed. This means I shall be able to brief you on your next mission as soon as you return to the castle."

Link laughed ruefully, grabbing the grappling hook chain he used to climb into the pit. "No rest for the wicked, eh? I look forward to it, Princess. Though I hope whatever's next doesn't involve any more mines. I swear, I am sick to death of mines and mountains and falling off cliffs and into holes. I've had enough."

That earned a real laugh from the princess. Link grinned as he began to climb.

"Don't worry, Link, there shouldn't be any more mountains. However, I hope you're fond of water—there will likely be an abundance of that."

"Water, Princess?" Link asked, hauling himself up, hand-over-hand.

"Yes, Link, water. I'll explain the details to you, later—once you're back and we may speak in person. By the way, you are aware of what's above, yes?"

"What?"

"Look up."

Link looked up. High above, something red and bulbous peered over the edge of the pit, smiling a wide and drippy grin. Link swore. "Again?!"

The gigantic ChuChu coiled, momentarily vanishing from view. Link flattened himself against the wall of the pit and prayed.

The ChuChu leapt, missing Link's head by an inch. It splashed to the stone floor, pulling itself together and bobbing up to grin at Link again.

"You missed me, but I didn't miss you!" Link shouted down at it.

Zelda chuckled. "Is this a friend of yours, Link?"

Link sighed and resumed his climbing. "It's a pain I didn't feel like killing earlier. Come to think of it, I don't feel like killing it now, either." He leaned down to shout at the ChuChu again. "You can stay down there, you big stupid blob! Good luck eating me, now!"

The ChuChu threw itself at Link, only to splash against the wall of the pit. Link grinned, Zelda laughed, then the two of them said their goodbyes as Link climbed his way out of the mines and back towards the sunlight.

* * *

**So remember what I said last month about not being late? *cough* yeah... I... I tried... I really did... sometimes I just suck at time management... Sorry about that...**

**This is an exciting time, though-not only is this month the one year anniversary of this fic, but I have some super important news!**

**That other project that's been distracting me from you guys these past few months? I'm officially done with it. **

**My novel, _Wardbreaker,_ is going to be published in May. **

**Set in a world where geography doesn't apply and magic is commonplace, Kyrin, a thief born without the ability to use magic, must travel alongside a band of knights as they quest to save their city from a dangerous witch. The catch: Kyrin happens to have fallen for this witch, and he isn't convinced the city is even worth saving. It's a fun YA fantasy adventure, full of my favorite kind of nonsense. You guys should totally check it out, when it's available. If you enjoy Red Lions Flying, you won't be disappointed. **

**I'm incredibly excited, and I wanted you all to be the first to know.**

**Anyway, thanks again for sticking with me-I hope to release my next chapter at the start of next month. I feel I owe you guys something extra for making you wait so long, so I'm going to try to slip a few chapters in here and there in addition to my usual posting schedule. You all deserve it.**

**I hope you enjoyed this chapter of Red Lions Flying, and I'd love to see what you think in the reviews. Let me know what you have to say!**

**As always, I wish you nothing but the best. Until next time! **

**~Garsson**


	14. Happy Aftermath

Link emerged from the mines, blinking in the harsh, unaccustomed sunlight.

The first thing he noticed was the breeze, sweet and clean and lovely. The second thing he noticed, once his eyes had cleared, was Darunia. The Goron Patriarch stood before his people, speaking encouragement to a small, anxious group of miners Link guessed to be an expedition party.

The third thing he noticed was Malon.

She stood next to Darunia, looking tired and stressed, but healthy, and when she saw Link, her face lit up like the sun.

Link grinned, stepping out towards the crowd. Malon ran towards him, nearly tackling him in a hug.

"Link! You're alive! You big idiot—I knew you were a featherbrain, but going into monster-infested Goron mines alone while earthquakes are shaking everything every ten minutes? You moron—I was sure—don't ever do that again!"

Link staggered back, returning the embrace. "Malon, I—"

"No—no—don't say anything. Stop talking. Next time you want to do something stupid, I'm coming with you." She drew back, holding Link at arm's length and frowning. "Are you okay? What happened in there? You—you look like a mess. Is that… blood?" She reached out a a hand, brushing her fingers against Link's tattered sleeve.

Link chuckled awkwardly, retrieving his arm. "No, Malon, don't worry—that particular stain is just red Chu Jelly. This one over here is blood. But don't worry, I'm better, now."

Malon opened her mouth to question, but before she could speak, Darunia strode up, interrupting the reunion.

"Little human—you've returned. And in one piece, no less. With the mountain no longer shaking, my brothers were just about to start the hunt for your remains."

Link blinked, opening and closing his mouth a few times as he searched for an appropriate reply. "I'm… flattered?" he eventually managed, "yeah—um…Thanks for the thought, but I'm quite happy to announce that won't be necessary."

Some of the Gorons chuckled. They seemed relieved, and one or two of them flashed Link a broad-lipped smile.

Emboldened, Link continued, letting his voice grow louder. "Moreover, I'm even happier to tell you that your mines are free again! I cleared out the monsters and killed the thing that kept causing all those earthquakes, so you all can consider Death Mountain to officially be at peace!"

Link had half-expected the Gorons to start cheering or something, but they did not. Instead, they simply stared at Link in numb, disbelieving surprise.

"Is this true, human?" Darunia said, his arms crossed and his expression intense, "My best Goron warriors went down to the mines and did not return—how do I know you did not simply turn and run away at the first sign of trouble?"

Link crossed his own arms and looked Darunia in the eye, wishing he were a little bit taller. "Human I may be, but coward I am not. If you don't believe me, you're welcome to go check. You know that giant pit way down in the middle of everything? Yeah. Go down there, and you'll find the remains of the Queen Dodongo that was stomping on everything." Link paused. The Gorons were mumbling, now, looking back and forth at one another in happy disbelief.

Link cleared his throat and rubbed the back of his neck with a hand. "But—if you do go looking, be careful. There's also this a gigantic red ChuChu down there. I… didn't care to deal with it, after fighting the Dodongo-thing. She kept spitting out babies, you know? And I had to…" he broke off, shuddering at the memory. "Anyway, you might wanna watch out for that. Regardless, I did what what I said I'd do, and now your mines are safe again. Well, safe as they ever were. You Gorons are lucky you're fireproof."

Malon's forehead landed in her palm. Darunia stared for a moment, then his face broke into a broad, toothy grin. He laughed, clapping Link on the back with enough force to make the Hylian stagger.

"Good one, little human! You—we Gorons owe you a debt that can never be forgotten! You have saved our mines, you have saved our mountain, and you have saved our people! We will tell your story forever!"

Now, the Gorons cheered, raising their fists and stomping their feet so that the earth rumbled with their joy. Link couldn't help but grin, even as he cleared his throat and awkwardly scratched at the back of his neck.

"I don't know about any debts. I mean, sure, I cleared the mines, but I did it so you could help me in return." He glanced at Malon, then nodded to himself. "I help your people, you help mine—we all have to look out for our own, so we look after each other. I'd say we're even."

Darunia grinned wider. "You have the heart of a Goron, kid! In fact—" here, Darunia raised his voice again, speaking so that all the Gorons might hear. "How's about you and I become Sworn Brothers, Link? There's no big ceremony involved—you can take the Din's Blood ore as a token of our friendship!"

"Darunia, I'd be honored!" Link said, grinning as he shook Darunia's massive hand.

Darunia whooped, and all the Gorons cheered again.

"From now on, you're an honorary Goron, Link! Now what do you say we have a party, brother?"

* * *

The Gorons did not throw a party—what they threw was more akin to a happy riot. The whole tribe brought out their drums and their paints and their smiles and ushered Link and Malon to a high plateau at the top of the mountain where the whole world seemed to ring with the sound of their laughter and song.

The celebration lasted long into the night, and Link could not remember the last time he'd had so much fun. All the Gorons painted themselves with the yellow symbols of their tribe, and as Link was now an honorary Goron, they painted him, too. Then the Gorons lit a massive bonfire, the musicians began to drum a wild rhythm, and everyone danced and sang and celebrated until long after the sun had set and all the stars were out and shining. When Link and Malon grew tired of dancing, they sat on a boulder, and Link entertained the Goron children with the story of his adventure in the mines—playing up his reactions until the children were laughing on the ground and even Malon was snickering behind her hand. Then one of the Gorons got it into his head to give Link a hug, and before long, almost the entire tribe was chasing Link around with wide grins and arms outstretched, while Link himself ran away, yelling as though his life were in danger. Malon almost hurt herself, she was laughing so hard.

Pale dawn was in the sky by the time the party finally ended, and everyone was exhausted, but happy. Link slept for almost a full day, afterward, and when he awoke, he found Malon overseeing the final repairs aboard the _Epona_. From that point on, it was just a matter of loading the ship with her cargo and new supplies, and when that was done, it wasn't long before Link and Malon bid the Gorons a cheerful farewell and were sailing back through the clouds towards Hyrule Castle and Princess Zelda.

* * *

**Hey, everyone. Sorry I'm late again. My life got really hectic, and I just couldn't keep up with everything. I won't burden you with the details, but it got messy for a while.**

** I swear I'll make it up to you, though. I haven't abandoned you, and there are good things on the horizon. On the one hand, my book is gonna be published as soon as the paperwork all gets processed (it's taking for-freaking-ever, I swear) and on the other hand, I have some really epic stuff planned for the future of this fic. Like, I don't wanna spoil anything, but the real fun is all still ahead. **

**Also, I'd like to give a shout-out to **tinyshoopuf, **author of "Shenannigans." **

**"Shenannigans" is a series of short, humorous snippets about the goings-on of Link's life when he's not busy saving the world, and though short-each chapter had me laughing out loud. Go check it out-it's well worth the read. **

** Anyway, I still feel bad about being so late and unreliable in recent months, and I meant what I said about making it up to you. This time, I won't accidentally fall off the face of the earth. This time, I'll deliver on my promises.**

**So, that being said, thanks for reading, thanks for reviewing, and thanks to sticking with me!**

**See you next time!**

**~Garsson**


	15. Return to Castle Town

The trip back to the castle was far less eventful than the trip to the mountain had been. Though the _Epona_ had to sail into a headwind that made progress difficult, the Gorons had fixed her well, and not even the slow, dreary drizzle that started was enough to dampen Link's spirits. In fact, he was glad of the rain—the clouds concealed the _Epona_ from any eyes that might want to spy on trade between the castle and the mountains, and it was good to feel the cool, damp air after so long spent baking underground.

Malon, however, was not quite as cheerful.

"Link, I've been thinking," she said one morning as they ate their breakfast in the ruined-and-repaired ship's galley, "you're still working for the princess, right? I mean—this Goron mess wasn't just a one-time thing?"

Link paused, his bread halfway to his mouth, and he shifted uncomfortably on the barrel that served as his chair. Most of the actual furniture aboard the _Epona_ had been destroyed in the crash. "Well, the Goron mess itself is a one time thing, as far as I understand it. Now that we've reaffirmed the alliance or whatever, it's all over and done with—but yes. I still have to work for her. I'm probably not supposed to really talk about it, but it sounds like she already has another mission lined up for me."

Malon nodded pensively, her mouth twisting into a dissatisfied grimace as she bit the inside of her cheek. "That's what I was afraid of. And there's no way you can get out of it?"

"I suppose I could always let her hang me, but I'd rather not have to take that option. Got things to do, you know. Plus, like I told you before, neckties aren't my style, and rope can be really itchy."

Malon sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose between her finger and her thumb. "Link, I'm being serious. You have almost died so many times because of that princess, and I though I trust you with my life, I don't trust you with your own—you're gonna get yourself killed, wandering off out there alone. No offense to you, but you're an impulsive featherbrain, and I've met Cuckoos with more common sense."

Link took a bite of his bread before mumbling, "that's a little harsh. I have plenty of common sense."

Malon raised her eyebrow. "You're a Cuckoo-head, and you know it. In fact, if that name is unfair to anyone, it's unfair to the Cuckoos. I've never seen one of them try to, for example, hookshot up a ship's mast—or go alone into a dangerous monster-infested mine full of fire and scary things."

Link chuckled weakly. "It… seemed like the best idea at the time? I mean, I'll admit I don't always think things through, Malon—but can you really argue with the results?"

"Yes. Yes I can. Especially when those results include your forced servitude and my ship almost getting completely sunk. My point is, Link—I get that this is something you have to do, and that it's really too late to do anything about the situation we're in—but _we__'re_ both in it. From now on, we stick together, you hear me? Through thick and thin—I'm not letting you out of my sight."

Link frowned. "But what if—"

Malon lifted her fork threateningly. "I mean it."

"Seriously, what if—"

"Nope. None of that, now."

"But—"

"Link, I swear, if you don't stop trying to argue, I will stab you with this fork. Please, just accept the fact that I intend to try to keep you alive and out of trouble."

Link sighed, raising both his hands in rueful defeat. "Fine, fine, okay. You win, Malon. From now on, no going off alone. I guess Princess Zelda is just gonna have to deal with that."

Malon nodded definitively. "And that's the truth."

The weather finally broke as the _Epona_ floated in to Castle Town's bustling airship dock. The clouds parted, and the sun peeked out, filling the damp air with golden light. Despite the cloudy skies, the floating strip of land was swarming with people—airshipmen coming and going from their vessels, dockworkers loading and unloading crates and barrels of every shape and size, merchants and tourists and travelers and soldiers, all pressed together in the constant ebb and flow of city life. The burbling hum of a thousand conversations was music to Link's ears.

"It's good to be back, ain't it, Malon?" Link asked his copilot with a grin as they disembarked.

Malon smiled back, fixing the knot of her yellow bandanna and flipping a couple of Rupees at the man collecting the docking fee. "Always. I'd be happier if this were a more normal trip, but I'll take what I can get."

Link laughed, and the pair made their way through the tightly packed crowd to the lift down to the main city. From there, it was an easy stroll through the market district to the central square, and within a very short while, Link and Malon both stood on the front steps of Hyrule Castle.

As they approached, the two identically armored guards stiffened to attention and crossed their spears in front of the door.

"State your business!" the guard on the left barked.

Link and Malon exchanged a glance. Link cleared his throat.

"Uh… We're here to see her Highness, Princess Zelda, on account of… er… she's expecting me?"

The guard on the right rolled his eyes. "A likely story. Princess Zelda extends her apologies, but she is a busy woman and does not have time to meet with every…" the man cut himself off to eye Link distastefully. Link wondered if the Goron paint was still visible on his skin. "Every… person… off the streets. If you truly have business with her Highness, we suggest you return in three days, when she holds public court to hear the voice of the people directly. If not, we suggest you take your… selves… elsewhere."

Malon made a sound like an exasperated chuckle, and Link ran a hand down his face, praying for patience.

"Pardon me, _sir_, but I really do have business with the princess, and Zelda really is expecting me. I've been through too much for her sake to be turned away at the door. Go ask her if you like. I can wait."

The guards took their turn to exchange a glance. The one on the left spoke. "Sir, ma'am, I'm truly sorry, but we can't let you in unless you can prove you have legitimate business. With things being what they are, we can't be letting just let anyone wander the halls. Just the other day, we caught an assassin trying to sneak in through a waterway leading into the palace gardens. We caught the rat and patched the hole, but you'll understand if her Highness insists on caution."

Link's eyes widened. "An assassin—is Zelda okay?"

"_Princess_ Zelda is fine," the guard on the right snipped, "you needn't concern yourself with her safety—us Castle Guards have it covered."

Link opened his mouth to comment, but Malon's gentle kick to the back of his shin reminded him of his manners. "I'm sure you do. It's… good to hear she's so well protected, even if it's alarming to hear someone would try to kill her. Seriously though—I—we, I mean—we do have business. I can't tell you what it is, because the princess herself made me swear, but Her Highness is actually expecting us. I meant what I said when I suggested you go ask her."

The guards exchanged another glance. The one of the right raised his eyebrow. The one on the left shrugged. In the end, the left-hand guard was the one who spoke.

"We can't let you in without proof of your intent—but you don't look like you're lying, and you seem genuine enough. However, neither of us on guard here have the authority to make this call. You wait here, I'll go fetch the Captain. He should know what to do."

"Wait—wait!" Panic fluttered in Link's chest as he remembered his last interaction with Captain Groose. The man had threatened to kill him if he showed his face around the castle again, and Link had no doubts that the rooster-headed egomaniac would, at the very least, make securing a meeting with the princess much more painful than it needed to be. "Uh—proof… you need proof that I have business? How about… how about…" Link closed his eyes and thought for a moment.

The guard on the right sniggered, interrupting Link's train of thought. "You really are desperate, aren't you? What's wrong with the captain, eh? Why don't you want to see him?"

Link opened his eyes so that he could narrow them at the man. "He happens to hate me, if you really want to know. It's stupid and personal, and I'd like to be able to actually get in to see Princess Zelda today without his Grand Groosiness taking it upon himself to punch my face in, first."

The guard on the left cleared his throat. "And… why does he hate you?"

"Because the princess decided to trust me against his judgment, and I insulted his hair."

Both guards chuckled.

"That would do it…" The one on the right said.

"Yeah, that's the Captain, all right," the one on the left agreed.

The pair exchanged another look and a shrug, and then they both removed their spears from in front of the door. The left guard gave Link a nod.

"You seem to care for her Highness, you know the Captain's moods, and—provided you're not just the best liar under the sun—you seem genuinely honest, so you may pass. But be warned—if you are a liar, then the security inside will make you wish you'd never even heard of this castle of the Princess Zelda. Understand?"

Link nodded and flashed a grin. "Noted. But, since I'm not a liar, I'm not worried. In fact, it's a relief to know that her Royal Highness is so well protected and stuff. Anyway, thanks. Come on, Malon!"

Without wasting another moment, Link and Malon entered Hyrule Castle, and Link barely flinched as the heavy doors swung shut behind him.

It had been a while since Link had last walked these marble halls. Though only been a handful of weeks had actually passed, the days had been eventful enough to make Link feel as though years had passed. Fortunately, though, Link remembered his way well enough that he and Malon only had to stop and ask directions twice along their way to finding Zelda's audience chamber, and only three more times when it turned out the princess was actually sequestered in her study. Unfortunately, when they arrived, they found Groose himself standing guard outside the door.

"You!" the man roared, his yellow eyes widening as soon as Link came into view. He lunged forward and grabbed Link by the collar of his new shirt, lifting Link's feet clean off the floor.

Link sighed, allowing himself to hang limply in the man's grasp. After facing down a giant Dodongo, the man seemed more annoying than threatening.

"What in Din's name are you doing here, you—you—" Groose's face grew red with rage.

Before he could get a proper rant going, his eyes fell upon Malon, and the color of his face changed completely.

Her hands were on her hips, and her face was set in a scowl. "You set him down this instant!" Malon snapped, pointing at the floor.

Bewildered, Groose obliged, lowering Link—though he kept Link's shirt firmly in his grip. "Marin? What—what are you doing here?"

"That's none of your business," Malon said, sweeping her crimson hair back from her face and crossing her arms. "Link and I are going to see Zelda, and you're going to let us through."

Groose's face twisted strangely as the man drew himself up to full height. "I am the Captain of the Hylian Guard! If you and this—this Guay have business with her Royal Highness Princess Zelda, then—then it definitely becomes my business!"

"Nope." Malon shook her head, crossing her arms over her chest in a show of stubborn willpower that Link could only admire.

"Yes!" Groose retorted, smoothing back his hair and inadvertently revealing his flustered exasperation. "You can't just waltz in here with a known criminal—"

"Hey, I've been pardoned!" Link objected, still dangling from the man's hand.

Groose ignored him. "—demand to see her Highness, and expect to—to get to see her Highness? It's ridiculous! Why do you hang out with this loser, anyway? I bet he isn't even really your brother!"

Malon drew herself up to full height, and while she was over a foot shorter than Groose, she looked no less fierce. "That loser may as well be! He might be a featherbrained idiot, but he's still my best friend, and you'd better stop trying to push him around!"

"I'd better? Oh, I'd better, had I? Or else what?" Groose glared down at Malon, placing his hands on his hips, not seeming to notice that the motion meant releasing Link.

"Or else you'll have to find out what! I'll have you know, Captain Groose—"

Link dusted himself off and edged away from the conflict as both Groose and Malon began speaking louder and louder. He knew better than to get in Malon's way when she decided to launch a tirade.

Figuring the surest way to avoid getting caught in the crossfire was to excuse himself from the situation completely, Link sidled away from the arguing redheads and slipped through the door to Zelda's study.

The princess sat at her desk before a stack of paperwork, facing the window with her back to the door. Her hair was down, today—it hung in gentle, golden waves down her back, and she was dressed much more simply than the last time they had met. Instead of the elaborate gown, she wore a plain dress of lavender silk, embroidered with a single Hylian crest.

Feeling suddenly awkward, Link cleared his throat and knocked on the door he had just closed behind him.

"Uh… Princess?"

Zelda set down her pen and turned. The look of happy surprise on her face nearly melted Link's heart.

"Link—you're back! How did it go with the Gorons? I trust you were able to secure our alliance?"

Link nodded, bringing his mind back to business. "Yeah, that I did. Darunia's agreed to resume trade, now that the mines are clear, and Malon and I brought the first shipment of Din's Blood back for you, just like you wanted. It's on our ship, now. Oh—also, apparently I'm a Goron, now. Just so you know."

That comment earned a half-second of confusion before Zelda's face broke out into a smile. "You swore brotherhood?"

"Yep. Then they threw a party and all tried to hug me. And let me tell you—Goron hugs are terrifying."

Zelda chuckled, hiding her mouth with a delicate hand. "Nonetheless, they have bestowed a great honor on you, Link. The Gorons are a proud people, and it is rare for them to grant a human such respect. You have done them—and Hyrule—a great service. Now, Link—are you ready to do it again?"

"No," Link answered promptly, "but I doubt I ever will be, so you may as well tell me my mission regardless. I don't see much reason to drag this out."

Zelda nodded, reaching for a scroll on her desk and looking it over before continuing.

"Your next mission, Link, is much the same as the first—only where last time, you had to travel to the mountains and cement our alliance with the Gorons, this time, you must travel southwest to the Great Bay and cement our alliance with the Zora tribe. Much like with the Goron situation, we depend on regular shipments of Nayru's Heart ore to craft our airships, and the shipments from the Zora's Domain have mysteriously stopped. I want you to meet with King Zora, ascertain the reason for this lapse, and do what you can to amend it."

"Gotcha, Princess," Link said, nodding as he glanced around at the walls of bookshelves, "that sounds simple enough. Here's hoping there are no giant monsters to fight, this time. I don't know if I can deal with another massive Dodongo—those things are vicious."

Zelda smiled, but the expression did not quite reach her eyes. "No, Link, never fear—there should not be any Dodongos among the Zoras. In that respect, you are safe. However, I must warn you—the Zoras are not likely to be quite so friendly as the Gorons. The Gorons suffered much the same as we did, during the war, and so our bonds as allies are tightly-forged. The Zora people were more isolated, and therefore escaped the destruction mostly unscathed—which has convinced many among them that they are somehow safe from the war that is now brewing. You and I both know that this is not so. Just as rain falls on the mountains and flows to the sea, so too will violence spread throughout our world.

"I am sure that the king understood this, but there is a chance he may need reminding. Though he is a good king who never fails to do what he believes is best for his people, he is not known to have the strongest of wills—a dangerous trait in combination with the Zora's inherent pride. If you can secure audience with him and you deem the situation appropriate, have Navi call me—I am sure I can convince him, should he need convincing. I trust you understand, Link?"

Link nodded. "Plain as day and clear as crystal."

Zelda smiled. "Good. I have faith in you. You should depart as soon as my men have finished unloading the Din's Blood ore from your ship's hold. You'll find payment for the cargo delivered as well. Now… I have one question for you—just what, may I ask, is all that racket outside?"

Link halfway glanced back to the door and gave a sheepish chuckle. "Well, ah—that would be your Captain and my copilot having a regular row… Sorry?"

Zelda sighed, though Link got the sense the princess was hiding a smile. "I should have guessed. Someday, perhaps, I would like to meet this copilot of yours—she must be an impressive woman to keep Captain Groose so distracted while I meet a man he does not trust alone in my private study. However, for now, I suggest you return. It sounds as though things outside are getting rather tense, and I wouldn't want those two to alarm anyone."

Link nodded and bowed, accepting his dismissal, but he paused with his hand on the doorknob. "Princess? I…" The words caught in his throat. He did not have a clue what it was he was trying to say. Zelda raised an inquisitive eyebrow, but Link shook his head. "Never mind. I'll—uh—I'll see you later, then."

Zelda nodded, returning to her paperwork, and Link took his leave.

Back in the hallway, Malon and Groose were still arguing with the force of a thunderstorm. Malon had her hands on her hips and her eyebrows raised, and Groose had puffed himself up to almost unprecedented heights.

"It doesn't matter—you can't go in! I am the Captain of the Hylian Guard! Why should I have to listen to some—some—some backwater farm-girl smuggler?" the man protested, crossing his arms with a self-important huff.

Malon pursed her lips and waved a finger. "I don't care about your rank, I don't care about your men—you, Captain—are a narcissistic bully, and you've gotten your own way around here for far too long! Maybe I am a 'backwater farm girl,' but that means you can trust my word when I say you're nothing more than a featherbrained rooster strutting around and clucking at your own reflection!"

Groose's mouth fell open, his yellow eyes wide with incoherent fury. Before things had a chance to get worse, Link slipped in, gently took Malon's arm, and began to lead her down the hall.

"Oh gosh, what do you know, it looks like the Captain is just too stubborn. I don't think we will be able to see the princess today. We will just have to come back when she holds court," Link said, making no effort to sound genuine as he pulled Malon away from her fight.

Malon and Groose both blinked, startled out of their battle of wills.

Groose thrust his chin out, concealing his confusion under a mask of bravado. "Yeah—yeah, you better run!"

Though Malon followed Link, she turned around for one last quip. "You just wait 'til I come back!" she shouted, "I'm not done with you, yet! Not even halfway!"

Groose called something back in reply, and Malon answered with another, similar threat, but Link didn't bother to listen. One the shouting finally ceased, he looked at Malon, giving her a tiny, mischievous smirk.

"So, I take it you had fun?"

Malon smoothed her hair back with a hand, adjusting the lay of her bandanna. "The man is an idiot—it felt good to give him a piece of my mind, I'll tell you that much. I wish you hadn't backed down, though. It's not like three days is a long time, but I really didn't want to have to deal with that whole court mess."

Link chuckled. "Don't worry, Malon—we won't have to deal with it."

Malon's eyes widened, then narrowed. "You—oh, you—you snuck in and had your meeting while we were distracted, didn't you?"

Link grinned, but said nothing.

Malon laughed even as she gave Link a light shove. "You sneaky rat! Link, we were supposed to go together! You promised!"

Link shrugged. "We were together—I was only ever just inside the door. I just—I saw an opportunity, and I took it. I'm sorry if it wasn't ideal, but I didn't see any other way."

Malon tried to frown, but she could not hide her smile. "I'm mad at you now, you know. You should have found a way to get me in there, too. Anyway, what's next? Where're we headed, now?"

"Well, first, I'd say we should make a stop back home to stock up on all the stuff the Gorons couldn't give us, but after that—we're bound southwest, to the Great Bay and the Zora's Domain!"

* * *

**Surprise! Hi again! Betcha weren't expecting me again so soon, were you?**

**Well, here I am-back, and better than ever, with a brand-new chapter to make up for all the waiting you had to do! **

**I hope you're enjoying this story! Thanks for reading, and if you have the time, please leave a review! A little feedback goes an awful long way, and it's always nice to see what you have to say. Not only is it a great motivator, but your comments play a big role in helping me plan out the future-your reactions help me gauge where the story should go, next. So thanks!**

**Anyway, have a nice day, and I hope to see you again soon!**

**~Garsson**


	16. Fireflies Galore

Just northwest of Castle Town, a great forest stretched across the land like a sea of wavering green. Giant trees stretched up from the ground to touch the sky, and as the _Epona_ sailed above the highest boughs, Link could hear the resonant trills and chirps of a thousand singing birds. He grinned. Though the rest of Hyrule dreaded this forest—they called it the Lost Woods, and whispered tales behind locked doors of ghosts and monsters that had once been men, of faceless children and dark castles lost from sight forever—down below, in a secret grove invisible from the sky, the band of thieves and smugglers known as the Red Lions made their home.

"Do you see anything yet?" Malon called from her place at the wheel. Her red hair whipped about her in the wind, and the trees all sighed.

"No, not yet," Link answered, brushing his own hair away from his eyes, "but we're getting close—I'm sure of it!"

"You'd better be right, Link—because all these trees look the same to me."

Link turned away from the forest just long enough to flash Malon a grin. "You'll get the knack of it when you've been here long as I have, Malon—I mean, I've called these woods home for almost half my life. It'd be kinda weird if I didn't know where things were, at this point."

"Yeah, well, you are kind of weird, Link—so excuse me for checking," Malon said, grinning as she guided the ship around an awkwardly protruding treebranch. Twigs snapped and clattered against the bottom of the _Epona _as she dipped just a fraction too low. Link peered back over the side of the ship and gestured for Malon to sail a little higher.

Once he was sure they were safely clear, Link brushed his hair from his eyes again. "We're still too near the edge of the forest, here," he said, this time keeping his attention on green beneath, "wait until the trees get a bit bigger, and then take her down. Right here it's all too small and tightly woven."

"Wait until the trees get bigger…" Malon repeated under her breath, glancing down at the impenetrable mass of interlocking branches. "I still can't believe how big everything is already. Whenever I think about this place, I swear my brain wants to believe it's all an impossible dream."

Link chuckled, again gesturing for Malon to take the ship a little bit higher. "Well, let's hope we don't wake up. I've grown rather fond of these woods—even with the constant fog and the monsters everywhere. I can't think of a safer place for thieves to hide, except maybe in the desert—and that's only if you're Gerudo. Which I definitely am not."

Malon snickered. "Really? You're not? Link—I'm shocked! All this time, I thought—!"

Link rolled his eyes and chuckled. "Yes—yes, I Link, am secretly a Gerudo thief! Never mind the fact that they're a race of dark-skinned, round-eared, crimson-headed women and I'm a pale blond guy—I'm secretly one of them!" Link teased, spinning around so he could gesture dramatically towards Malon.

Malon grinned. "Alright, alright—you're not a Gerudo. Now get your eyes back on those trees—I don't wanna crash because I can't steer and see beneath me at the same time."

"Yes, ma'am," Link replied, unable to suppress his grin as he returned his attention to the forest.

They sailed on like this for some time, exchanging barbs and banter, and gradually sailing higher and higher to match the heightening trees, until at last, Link whistled.

"Here! Take her down here! Nice and slow!" he called, pointing down to a rare gap in the forest's thick canopy.

"Gotcha there!" Malon answered, tilting the wheel and urging the _Epona_ to descend. It was tricky work, getting the ship down safely—Link and Malon had to work in perfect tandem, link calling directions and Malon tilting and spinning the_ Epona_ to fit her between the thick tree branches—but after a tense fifteen minutes, the airship broke through the network of tree limbs and hit the more open air of the forest below.

Beneath the treetops lay another world. At least, that's how it seemed to Link as his eyes adjusted to the dim green light that filtered through the dense, leafy canopy. Nothing was the same, anymore—the blue sky was gone, blocked by a ceiling of broad leaves, each one larger than Link's head. The green earth was gone, obscured by the thick white fog that gave the Lost Woods their fearsome reputation. Tree trunks rose like towers on every side as far as the eye could see, and all around, large flickering fireflies danced and darted through the still air, gently pulsing with every color imaginable.

The _Epona_ drifted slowly through this sea of living stars, her polished railings gleaming as she passed through one of the rare sunbeams that streaked the forest air. The trees rustled, whispering secrets to each other, the distant birds trilled and sang their distant songs, the _Epona_'s engine hummed serenely, and Link couldn't help but release a happy sigh.

"You know, Malon, I'll never get tired of this place," he said, resting his elbows on the railing and grinning into the faint breeze stirred up by the ship's travel. A confused firefly bumped against his shoulder. Link grinned and brushed it away.

"Yeah? I'll never get used to it," Malon said, her voice distant as she gave the wheel a half-turn, guiding the _Epona_ through the fork of a massive, twisted tree. It was a close fit—Link's head passed within a foot of the gnarled grey bark. "Don't get me wrong—the place is beautiful—but don't you ever start to miss the open sky?"

Link shrugged, turning his gaze back to Malon. "Yeah, I suppose I do, after a while, but we're out and about often enough that I'm rarely here long enough to notice. I guess I just end up missing my sister more. You know, that day Groose caught us—I happened to bump into her in Castle Town?"

Malon glanced at Link, taking a moment to look him in the eye despite her work. "Really? What was she doing there?"

"Picking pockets. I'm gonna have to have a chat with Mido, when we land… Apparently he's been telling her she needs to pull her own weight. I know we all owe him a lot, but…"

Malon finished Link's sentence for him. "…But you don't want your baby sister stealing."

"Exactly. I mean, sure, I did it—but look where I ended up."

"Praised and honored as Zelda's favorite new hero?"

"What? No! I mean, yes, but no—I was thinking more along the lines of 'forced against my will to repay a debt to society or else face the noose.' The hero stuff doesn't count—I'm just the idiot Zelda happened to hire. It could have been anyone, and I only did it 'cause I had to. My point is, I don't want Aryll to grow up with anything to fear. Not monsters, not bandits, not starvation, not anything—and certainly not fair and legal death by hanging. I want her to grow up happy and… and free. You can never really be free, when you're always looking over your shoulder half wondering if someone's gonna bust you for the things you've done."

There was a short pause, broken only by the whisper of the wind through the trees, then Malon spoke. "To be fair, we got busted for selling supplies to the enemy. I'm pretty sure that's high treason, or something. They're not gonna hang her over a couple Rupees here and there."

"Still." Link tightened his lips in a grimace as he cast his gaze once more down, over the edge of the ship to the fog below. Something unseen moved along the ground, stirring up small eddies in the gently flowing vapor. "…that's how I started, too. First it was Rupees, then it was more, now here I am with my neck on the line. I'd feel better if I could know for certain that something like this is well and truly out of Aryll's future. I want her future to be brighter than that."

There was another short pause, then Malon sighed. "I know she's your sister, Link, and I know you've pretty much raised her—but you can't protect the girl forever. You know that, right?"

Link sighed, reaching a hand out towards a firefly that drifted near. He missed it by an inch. "Yeah… I know. But I can protect her a while longer."

* * *

They sailed on through the trees for quite some time, navigating half by their compass, half by Link's memory, and half by pure blind instinct—a process which, according to Malon, was exactly as ill-conceived and foolhardy as trying to get three halves to make one whole. Somehow, though, either by talent or pure dumb luck, the _Epona_ eventually drifted into sight of an enormous pale tree—a vast emperor of the forest that stood strong and proud, big as an island in its own right and taller than the highest tower man could ever hope to build. The branches were wide as roads—the leaves were the size of boats—and each dark knothole yawned wide, a wooden cavern in the side of the mountainous tree.

"There it is—that one, right there!" Link cried, leaning out over the ship's railing to point at one particular knothole. It looked much the same as all the others—an empty black pit in the pale bark, halfway down between the _Epona_'s current altitude and the drifting mist below.

"You're sure?" Malon asked, even as she began to ease the ship lower. "I thought our tunnel was a little bit higher up."

"Nah, that's the one—I'd bet my life on it. Take her down!"

The damp breeze rushed past as the _Epona_ dropped towards the knothole, and Link couldn't keep his grin from spreading. The ship could only barely fit through the gap—she had about a foot of clearance on either side—but after a mere minute of careful flying, the _Epona_ sailed out onto a surprisingly large open-air platform hidden beneath a thick screen of tightly-woven foliage.

Fireflies darted all around, casting dim lights and faint shadows around and behind the broad, semi-translucent leaves. Their rainbow glow glinted oddly off the smooth wooden floor, and their flickering lights illuminated the only other ship on the platform as though it were something out of myth.

The old clunker had been salvaged from the Seven Years War—it barely airborne and almost more dent than metal, but the sight of it made Link smile.

The _Epona_ glided to a halt beside the other vessel, coming to rest three feet above the floor. Fireflies quickly settled onto the deck and the rigging, casting just enough light to allow Malon to find the rope ladder in the storage room.

She tossed the ladder over the side, and the pair climbed down. Link sighed happily, lacing his fingers behind his head as he strolled to the edge of the platform to peer through the leaves to the ground below.

"You know, Malon—I'm sure I said this earlier, but I love this place. I really do."

Malon chuckled, flicking a strand of hair away from her face as she grabbed Link by the back of his shirt, pulling him away from the edge and towards the shallow ladder carved into the inside wall of this great hollow tree. "Uh-huh. We had this conversation an hour ago, Link. And I'm pretty sure we had it at least an hour before _that_, too. And—"

"Wait—" Link cut her off, pulling free from her grasp and holding up his hand for silence. "Do you hear that?"

Malon paused. "Hear what?"

"It sounds like… music."

Link and Malon both exchanged a grin.

* * *

**Sorry this one's a bit short, but I'm about to explode from sheer joy and hype and everything. Have you seen the stuff for the new Zelda game? I swear, I can hardly bear it. My soul is screaming.**

**Not only that, but I have some OTHER super-exciting news. **

**Remember how I mentioned that my book was gonna be published, soon?**

**Yup.**

**It's official: Wardbreaker is gonna be available on Amazon as of July 15th! In fact you can preorder the ebook RIGHT NOW. **

**Just go to Amazon and type in 'Wardbreaker'-my book's the one with the giant lock on the cover. It's pretty great.**

**Also, for those of you in the USA who happen to have a Goodreads profile, I'm doing a limited-time-only giveaway**—**you can enter for a chance to win one of three exclusive signed copies!**

**So yeah, please please please check it out and support me. As always, I appreciate you stopping by. **

**Thanks for reading, and I hope to see you again soon!**

**~Garsson**


	17. Nest Full of Eggs

The tree's great hollow was only accessible from the sky. The dangers of the outside wood—the fog, the monsters—were all kept at bay by the thick wooden walls. Inside the tree, a miniature forest thrived, and in this forest, the band of thieves and smugglers and war-orphans known as the Red Lions made their home.

Link smiled as he stepped once more upon the soft ground, noting the clean, green smell of damp earth and old wood. Faint, golden sunbeams slipped through the great tree's high crown, and fireflies darted all around, collecting together on large blue flowers until they glowed like lanterns along the walls. Trees of all sizes grew within the living fortress, and the largest ones supported ramshackle houses strung together by a haphazard network of ropes and clumsy bridges. Distant laughter rang through the trees, mingling with the airy, cheerful music that Link and Malon had heard above.

The melody was louder, now—lively and bold, and full of a certain vitality that made Link want to dance.

He grinned, grabbed Malon's hand, and together the two of them raced towards the source.

A natural spring of fresh, clear water burbled up at the center of the village, and a short, green-haired girl sat on a tree stump beside it, playing a cheerful melody on a small clay flute. Her eyes were closed in joyous concentration, and the toe of her foot tapped lightly, keeping time. Though Saria was at least a few years older than Link, she still had the face of a child.

Link and Malon exchanged a glance and a grin of silent agreement. Careful not to make a sound, they both sat down in the grass before the stump to listen.

The melody carried on for some time, mingling pleasantly with the hush of the faint breeze and the laughter and the water, and when the tune finally wound to a gentle close, Link and Malon leapt up together to give their loudest, most boisterous round of applause.

Saria's eyes flew open, and she nearly fell of her stump in surprise.

"Link? Malon?" she gasped, brushing a strand of vibrant green hair back behind her pointed ear. A grin spread over her face as she hopped up from her stump, embracing them both in turn. "Praise Farore—it is you! When did the two of you get back?"

"Just now," Malon said, "we blew in about ten minutes ago."

Link nodded. "If even. It feels more like five to me. Anyway, how've you been, Saria? Aryll's not been driving you too crazy, I hope?"

Saria laughed and shook her head. "Oh, no—she's been fine! I catch her sneaking out occasionally—to 'go have adventures' she says—but she never leaves the haven on her own, so there's nothing to worry about. I'm sure she'll be overjoyed to hear that you're home, though. She's missed you, Link."

Link grinned. "Yeah… Yeah—trust me when I say I've been missing her, too. Where is she, anyway? I'd like to swing by and say hello before I go report to Mido and get my head bit off."

Saria raised both her eyebrows in concern. "Did the mission go that badly?"

"What?" Link laughed, "No, no—not… _that _bad. It… could have been worse. I mean, we got paid, and—"

"It was pretty bad," Malon said, interrupting with a knowing glance at Saria.

Link gave her a look. "Was not! It… sure, it could have gone better, but we survived, and—"

Saria whistled under her breath, the concern in her eyes growing. "It must have been bad, if 'we survived' is the best you can say, Link…"

"What? No—that's not what I—"

Malon's mouth quirked into a tiny smirk as she cut him off again. "Yeah, it was a mess. First we got sighted by a Hylian ship—a Loftwing, no less—and then poor _Epona_ got caught in a storm and _then__—__"_

"—And then nothing of interest happened at all so there's nothing to worry about because we're both home safe!" Link said, rushing to get the words out first.

Malon chuckled. "—and then Link made some very… _intelligent_ decisions that nearly got him killed about fifty-seven-thousand times in a row, but may or may not have actually saved the day, in the end."

Saria blinked. "It sounds as though you two have been busy."

Link gave a helpless shrug. "It's… a living? I promise, though—whatever Malon tells you—there's nothing to worry about. I had everything completely under control."

Link gave his sincerest, most genuine expression, and both Saria and Malon burst out laughing. Link couldn't help but chuckle as well.

"Okay," he said, "I admit—that's kind of a lie. Slightly. But—it is true that it all worked out, and it's all going to continue working out as long as I draw breath. On my honor as a thief and a smuggler, I swear—I don't intend to take on any challenge I can't handle."

Saria and Malon exchanged a glance. Malon rolled her eyes, and Saria shrugged.

"What?" Link asked, his eyes flicking between the both of them.

Malon snickered. "Nothing."

"Anyway," Saria interjected, "in answer to your earlier question, Aryll is probably at your house right now. She found a bird's nest in your tree the other day, and she's been looking after the eggs. I'm sure she'll be eager to show you."

Link smiled and nodded. "Right. Thanks, Saria. I'll catch up with you later, okay?"

Saria nodded and gave Link a smile, and Link left, leaving the two girls to chat by themselves. As he departed, he heard Saria ask Malon for the details of their misadventures, and he cast a nervous glance at the Gossip stone at his wrist. He trusted Malon not to spill his secrets, and he didn't actually mind if Saria knew his true mission—but Zelda had said his job was a secret to everybody, and he had no desire to betray her trust while his neck was on the line.

Pushing the thoughts from his mind, Link walked through the center of the hidden village to his house on the opposite side.

It was a quaint, slightly ramshackle place he'd built himself in the branches of a sturdy old tree, free from the network of rope bridges that crisscrossed the rest of the forest haven. The roof was patchy, the door didn't fit right in the doorway, and the walls were full of gaps and knotholes, but it was a home, and Link was glad to see it.

He passed the sign clumsily scrawled with his and Aryll's names, smiled at the faded charcoal drawings he and Aryll had scribbled at the base of the tree, and scaled the creaky rope ladder to the top. Link couldn't help but hold his breath as he pushed open the front door.

Inside, Aryll sat facing the misshapen hole in the wall that passed for a window, cooing soft words to a bird's nest in the branches beyond. Link grinned to himself and cleared his throat.

"Hey, Aryll—I'm home."

Aryll gave a tiny shriek and whirled around, running up to tackle Link in a hug. He laughed and swept her off her feet, spinning her up and around in a wide circle before setting her down and kissing the top of her head.

Aryll beamed. "Big Brother—you're back! Did—did you bring me a present?"

"What, my company isn't enough for you?" Link laughed, fishing around in his pocket. "Now let's see. Where'd it—? Aha!" With a flourish, Link pulled a small item wrapped in brown paper from a pouch at his belt. "Da da da daa!" he sang, holding the package aloft.

Aryll giggled. "Stop being silly, Big Brother—give it here! Let me see!"

Link grinned and handed the gift to his sister. She unwrapped it, and her face lit up with her brightest smile as she lifted the polished stone bracelet.

"What do you think?" Link asked, already knowing the answer.

"I love it!" Aryll confirmed, giving Link another hug even as she admired the painted patterns and the gleam of light across the stone. "Thank you so much! And—since you're back, now… does this mean you're gonna stay for a while?"

Link's smile faded by a few guilty degrees. "Sorry, Sis… Not this time. Malon and I still have work to do. I'll get some time off once this is over, though, okay? I promise."

Aryll nodded, and her expression broke Link's heart. He cleared his throat.

"So… Who were you talking to when I walked in, Aryll?"

Aryll's face brightened again, and she grabbed Link's hand and pulled him towards the window. "Some birds made a nest and I'm helping them keep it safe—come see!"

Sure enough, a little bundle of woven sticks and threads and bits of shiny debris sat in the branches just above the window, holding four tiny speckled eggs.

Link leaned out the window for a better look. "Wow—that's pretty exciting! Have you named them, yet?"

Aryll shook her head. "No… Not yet. I'm working on it, though. I'll come up with the best names ever, you'll see!"

Link nodded. "I don't doubt you. Here, let's make a deal—you have them named by the time I get back, and I'll bring you an even better present next time, sound good?"

"Wait, that reminds me!" Aryll cried, jumping up suddenly and startling Link, "I found a present for you, too, Big Brother!" She looked around, frowning, then darted off, rummaging through her chest of drawers until she came up with a misshaped, poorly-wrapped bundle tied with a scrap of string.

Before Link could voice his surprise, Aryll pressed the lump into his hands. "Open it!"

Link turned the bundle over in his hands, shaking it lightly. "What is it?"

"You'll see as soon as you open it, silly! Go on!"

Link grinned. "Oh, I dunno, it seems a shame to mess up this beautiful wrapping," he teased, "maybe I should just—"

Aryll crossed her arms and pouted.

Link relented. "Alright, alright—you can stop giving me that look. I'm opening it." He tugged at the string, and the wrapping fell away, exposing an old, battered pair of flight goggles. The lenses were scratched and misted by time, and the leather band was nicked and discolored, but the goggles looked as though they'd survived the last war and would gladly endure the next one.

Aryll beamed, nearly dancing in place from happiness.

Link put the goggles on his face and his hands on his hips. "So, how do I look?"

Aryll laughed. "Perfect! Do you like them?"

"Yeah, I do. Where did you find these, Aryll?"

"Oh, just… around."

Link removed the goggles, putting them around his neck so that he could raise his eyebrow. "Around?"

Aryll nodded. "Uh-huh. Just around."

Link nodded back, much more slowly. "Good… that's good. Because if they hadn't been 'just around'—if you'd stolen them, for example… well, I'd be a little disappointed."

Aryll fidgeted, but said nothing. A long moment passed. Link sighed. He didn't have the energy for hypocrisy, today.

He polished the lens on his sleeve, averting his gaze. "Thanks, Sis. I really like them. I'm sure I'll use them a lot."

Aryll nodded. "I hope they help when you're in the sky. And—I'll have the birds named, next time. Okay? We can make that deal, if you still want. You don't even have to bring me a present."

Link looked his sister in the eye and summoned his warmest smile. "Aryll, you name the birds, I bring you a gift. That's how the deal works. No 'if's 'and's or 'but's about it. So… how about you bring back that smile of yours?"

* * *

**GUYS IT'S THE MIDDLE OF THE NIGHT RIGHT NOW BUT I'M SCREAMING BECAUSE OH MY GOSH MY BOOK IS A THING!**

**Okay. Deep breaths. Let's be mature about this.**

**Gah, who am I kidding? I'm excited. I'm more than excited-I'm super freakin' thrilled. **

**So yeah. Wardbreaker exists, now, and you can buy it on Amazon as either an ebook OR an actual physical paperback-which is pretty much the best thing ever. So you should do that. Like, seriously-if you've come this far with me and you enjoy my work, please check it out. You won't regret it. **

**AND now that it's published, I'll finally have time for other things again! For sleep, and video games, and sleep, and writing this fic, and video games, and writing those _other_ stories, and sleep, and did I mention sleep? I miss sleep. **

**So that'll be nice. **

**I'm gonna get this story up and moving again-REALLY moving-I'm gonna sleep, I'm gonna do all the writing, and I hope you enjoy what I come up with. I hope you enjoy Red Lions Flying, I hope you enjoy Wardbreaker, and I hope you enjoy the rest of your day. Or night. It's 2 AM, for me, so I really don't know what to call it.**

**Anyway,  
Until next time!**

**~Garsson**


	18. Boss of the Red Lions

Link left his home cheerfully, but his good mood faded as he neared the tree that Mido called home. It was a squat tree—sturdy, defensible—with a solid door at ground level, and a high bridge connecting the treetop to a knothole in the wall of the larger haven. A broad, clean path cut through the overgrown grass to the door, beside which a sign stood, declaring the place to be the "House of the Great Mido—Boss of the Red Lions."

Link snickered as he passed.

He approached the door, drew himself to full height, took a deep breath, and knocked.

Several moments passed in silence. Then, just as Link was turning to leave, a loud roar shook the woods.

An engine—growing closer.

Link looked up just as a streak of red and white and yellow plummeted from the sky with a sound like sustained thunder. White wings flashed—the blur circled twice above the treetops before swooping into the knothole-cave above Mido's house.

Link pursed his lips, trying to ignore a stab of envy. Mido's sky-bike was cool—and the guy never let anyone forget it.

Link sighed, slouching against the doorframe of the house until he saw the bridge above sway with Mido's footsteps. He waited a few more moments, then he knocked again.

Stomping footfalls—muttered curses—the door jerked open to reveal a short, freckle-faced young man with reddish-blond hair and grease smears all along his arms and legs. The guy's green clothes were ragged and patched, and his blue eyes showed nothing but tired, impatient scorn.

"What's—oh. You. You're back. What do you want?"

Link cleared his throat and suppressed his natural urge to snark. "I'm here to give my report about that mission to the Gerudo Desert. You know—the one you sent me on last time I was here."

Mido raised both of his eyebrows, then sighed. "Right. Come on in—I'd like to keep this quick."

He turned his back and walked inside to sit on what was essentially a high wooden pedestal in the center of his house. Link followed him inside, shut the door, and offered a swift prayer to Nayru for guidance.

"Well?" Mido asked, looking down at Link from his seat. He made the block of wood look like a throne.

Link squared his shoulders and cleared his throat again. "It didn't go as expected. I was able to trade away the ore and bring back enough money to make the trip more than worthwhile, but we were sighted along the way by a Hylian Galleon—a full-on battle-ready Loftwing—so though Malon and I got away fine, we won't be able to do business with the desert anymore."

Mido's expression clouded, but Link rushed out the second half of his report before he could be interrupted.

"However—I did some investigating on my own, and I organized a fairly low-risk job that should have a high enough payout to make up for it. Malon and I were going to head out again immediately after we'd checked in here."

Mido scowled and crossed his arms over his chest. "You screwed up our contact with the desert?"

"Yup."

"You don't even feel bad about that, do you?"

"Not really, no." The words were out before Link could stop them.

Mido's face scrunched and his expression darkened. "Do you realize how much work I put in to keep everyone here safe and healthy, Link? Do you realize how many strings I have to pull to keep everyone fed? I have everything all planned out—and then you just go and screw it up. Typical."

"Hey—I arranged a new—"

"A new job won't make up for it! This contact was supposed to last us, Link! We were supposed to be safe, but now—!" Mido broke off to pinch the bridge of his nose and sigh. "Fine. Fine. Whatever. Where's this contact, anyway?"

"The contact is in Castle Town. The job is at the Great Bay." Link saw no reason to lie.

Mido clicked his tongue and shook his head. "You're telling me that you screwed up an easy run to the desert, but you expect to be able to smuggle goods literally under the princess' nose? For all Nayru's love—how does that make sense?"

Link took a deep breath. "It makes sense because—" _because the princess is my contact. _"—because the princess is so focused to watching the Hyrule-Gerudo border for any sign of invasion, she won't be paying as much attention to affairs back home. It will work. And if it doesn't, it's only my neck that's on the line."

Mido's eyes narrowed slightly at the word 'invasion,' but his tone did not change. "Yours and Malon's, you mean. And her, I'd hate to lose. _She__'s_ an asset."

Link rolled his eyes. "Yes, of course. I'm expendable—I know. Don't you worry, I'd…" He cut himself off and sucked in a hissing breath, reigning in his tongue. "I'd be putting her first regardless."

Mido allowed an awkward moment of silence to pass before he responded. "…Good. Right. Well. It sucks that you screwed up, but I guess at least you're not totally wimpy. Come back later and bring the money you earned, and I'll see it gets distributed. After that, you go do whatever job you organized—but afterwards you're coming right back here. Don't you dare go trying to arrange your own missions without my say so, you hear?"

"Yes sir, Mido, sir," Link said, keeping all but the barest hint of sarcasm out of his voice.

"I mean it. Now—get out of my house. I've been working my butt off to keep all you people safe and alive, and I deserve a little rest."

Images of spilled blood and giant teeth flashed through Link's mind. He felt suddenly exhausted. Link opened his mouth, then shut it again, hesitating. "Yeah… working hard. Of course. But… there's one other thing I want to say, before I go."

Mido scowled. "Am I going to like this thing?"

"No, probably not."

"Then don't bug me with it. I'm tired."

"Mido, please. This is important."

Something in Link's tone must have caught Mido's attention, because the guy cast him a sideways glance and sighed. "…Fine. What have you got to say?"

"My sister. Stop making her steal."

Mido's scowl deepened. "I'm not making her do anything. When we go to town, she's the one begging to come along. She _wants _to pull her weight—she's darn good at picking pockets... I don't see the problem."

"I don't want her stealing."

"I don't really care what 'you want.' My job is to look after everyone, and we need money to do that. Anyway, it's not like she's ever come close to being caught."

"Still. I… we all came here to work together and live better lives. That's what you said, right? When you picked us up? We're all family now, and family looks after each other. That's all I'm trying to do. It's not just Aryll—I don't think any kid should have to risk a criminal record before they're even ten. I know money's tight, but it's not _that_ tight. We can afford to let these kids be kids."

Link held his breath as Mido's eyes narrowed. "So you know better than me, huh? You think you can just walk in here and run this place for me?"

"That's not what I said. I couldn't arrange half the stuff you do. I know for a fact I'd make a terrible leader. I just… Aryll's my little sister. I want to keep her safe. Please, at least think about it."

Mido held Link's gaze for an uncomfortably long moment, and then sighed. "…Whatever. I'll consider—but only after I've slept, and that's all I'm promising. Now—again: get out of my house."

Link nodded and turned, leaving without another word.

* * *

**Hey! Nice to see you again. I hope you enjoyed this bit of Red Lion's Flying!**

**Now, I have some announcements to make. **

**First:  
My book, _Wardbreaker: A Shattered World Story,_ is available on Amazon, and that's super exciting. The reviews are starting to trickle in, and so far it's all been pretty good. Like, listen to this- **"The book is well written, and carries a moral that is surprisingly modern. The setting is unique, and the main character brings a fresh vibe to storytelling."

**So I'd just like to say thank you so much for reading my stuff, and a special thanks to everyone who's bought and reviewed. Publishing has been my dream forever, and you guys are helping it come true.**

**Now, the second announcement:  
My life has gotten busier. I won't bore you with the details, but I can't keep to that monthly schedule I wanted. No matter how hard I try, my deadlines always pass me by. (I'm still sorry about that.)**

**So instead of stressing and struggling to uphold promises I can't keep, I'm just going to write new chapters as I can, and I'm not going to _begin_ worrying about updating until at least five reviews or so have appeared on this story.**

**The monthly schedule will pick back up once my life settles down. Until then, thanks for reading, thanks for reviewing, and I'll see you all again as soon as I can!**

**Have a happy September!**

**~Garsson**


	19. Off the Deep End

Link and Malon stayed three more days in the forest, taking the time to rest and resupply before bidding their friends a fond farewell and returning to the open skies. The _Epona_ sailed beautifully, and—though they had to fly through a rather inconvenient crosswind that blew them several miles south of where they'd intended to land—Link and Malon found themselves at the ocean with far less trouble than they'd expected.

The sun was high in the sky when they anchored the _Epona_ above the broad stretch of beach. Though there seemed to be a storm brewing out, far over the water, the sky above the shore was clear and blue and warm, with only a handful of wispy clouds to mar the perfect afternoon.

Link sighed. He couldn't help it. Something about the gentle roar of the surf, the rustle of the balmy breeze through the palm fronds, the discordant music of the circling sea birds—it put him at ease.

"I think I could get used to a place like this," Link said to Malon, grinning as he climbed down to meet her on the coarse beige sand. "A basket—a blanket—a couple of sandwiches…. Or even just give me a fishing rod, and I'd be happy spending an afternoon here."

Malon raised her eyebrow. "Link?"

"Yes, Malon?"

"Focus, please. If you start rambling about all the goofing off we could be doing, I'm gonna want to goof off, too, and then who'll make sure this job gets done?"

Link chuckled. "Sorry, I just… It's been too long since I've been fishing."

"Well, the sooner we find the Zoras, the sooner we can finish this job and _then _you can go fishing, Link."

"You know what? When we're done with this mess, that'll be the first thing I do. I'm gonna find a nice little fishing hole, and I'm gonna take a day to do absolutely nothing."

"Good for you. But for now—let's do what we came to do. Where are the Zoras, anyway?"

Link looked around. The beach was fairly barren. There were a handful of palm trees, some scattered rocks, and a lot of sand. In the distance, a dilapidated hut leaned against the cliff wall, but there was nothing in sight to suggest the existence of the great Zora kingdom Zelda said would be waiting.

Link shrugged. "I have no idea."

Malon sighed and pinched the bridge of her nose. "None at all? You princess didn't give you instructions for after we got here?"

Link scratched at the back of his head. "No, I can't say she did... Southwest… Great Bay… Zoras. That's all she told me, and that's all I know. I forgot to ask for details, since the Gorons were easy to find after I made it to the right mountain."

"That raises the question—we are on the right beach, right?" Malon said.

"I think so" Link said, nodding, "Are there any other bays in the area that might be greater?"

Malon shrugged. "I don't think so."

"So then this has to be the right beach. We should walk around for a bit—see if we can't find someone to ask. One way or the other, if we wander around long enough, we're bound to find something."

"Link, that sounds like a phenomenal way to get lost and potentially eaten by some sort of fish-monster."

Link chuckled. "What, you don't trust my luck, Malon? Do you have a better idea?"

"I trust your luck as far as I can throw it, Link. As for a better idea—I'm working on one."

"Great! I won't say no to a better idea. But in the meantime, why don't we check out that building over there?" Link pointed to the dilapidated hut. "It's a place to start."

Malon agreed, and the two of them set off across the beach. They were about fifty feet out from the _Epona_ when five weirdly gelatinous creatures erupted from the sand around them, each one looking like a cross between a sand-worm and a four-horned flowering cactus. Malon shouted a warning, Link drew his sword, and the creatures spun—each one rotating wildly as the whole group began to circle.

"Yeah, Link—let's go on a walk. That's a great idea!" Malon shouted, backing towards Link as the creatures circled faster, kicking up sand as they hemmed the pair in.

"How was I supposed to know there were things hiding in the sand? Just—just stay calm! I can deal with this!" Link lunged at the spinning monsters, but the circle moved to keep him in the center. The edge of the circle passed dangerously close to Malon.

She yelled and jumped away from the creatures—the hem of her skirt tearing as it was caught by one of the things' horns. She crashed into Link and nearly knocked him over.

"Malon! You okay?" Link risked a glance over his shoulder.

"I'm fine! Give me your shield!" Malon demanded, "Don't do that again—we've gotta move together!"

"Gotcha!" Link agreed, passing his shield as quickly as he could. Malon lifted it, and Link moved in closer to watch her back.

The circle of monsters tightened around them. Link gritted his teeth and gave his sword a preparatory swing. "Malon, I have a plan, and you're not gonna like it."

"I don't like most of your plans—but they usually work anyway. Nayru save us both—what've you got?"

"We split up and run for the ship."

"You're right, I don't like that plan at all."

Link ignored her protest. "Best case—we outrun them. They don't look like they can climb ladders. Next best case—these things can only track one of us, and whoever gets out can smack them from outside the circle while they're occupied. Slightly-less-good-case, they split up and we each only have to deal with half—which still isn't bad."

"Yeah, and worst case, we both—"

Before she could finish her sentence, the creatures rushed them.

"We're moving now!" Link shouted, practically shoving Malon and diving out of the way as the creatures rushed in. Malon stumbled, then bolted. Link hit the ground with a roll, then ran in the opposite direction.

The monsters spun and spread out again. Only two trailed Malon, while the rest trailed Link, seeming to glide over the sand after him.

Link pushed himself to run faster. Malon was ahead—twenty feet away from the ladder. Link felt a rush of air on his heels as one of the cactus-creatures zipped past. He swerved and threw himself sideways. A second creature missed him by inches.

Malon was on the ladder, now, clinging on with one arm and using Link's shield to swat the creatures with the other. They wobbled and spun away, then they sank into the sand. Malon yelled for Link to run.

Link floundered faster, fighting through the shifting sands—but the creatures behind him had no such trouble, gliding over the beach as though it were ice.

Malon yelled a warning. Link swerved again just as a cactus-thing rushed past him. He was mere feet from the ladder—from Malon. The cactus-things that had vanished returned, appearing in the sand at Link's feet.

He couldn't stop in time. Link launched himself over the monsters, barely clearing their wicked spines before crashing down face-first into the sand. Malon swore vehemently.

All five of the creatures surrounded him, spinning in unison. Now that Link had stopped running, they'd stopped chasing—and they were circling again.

Link got to his feet slowly, holding his breath. He took a tentative step sideways. The circle followed, keeping him at its center.

Slowly, he edged towards Malon. She eased her way back down the ladder and raised the shield threateningly. Link shook his head slightly. The creatures spun faster—they were preparing to charge again.

Link gave his sword a spin, exhaling slowly. He had an idea—a stupid idea—and his timing would have to be perfect.

Malon saw the look on his face. "Link, whatever you're thinking—"

"Malon, you might wanna stay back," Link murmured. "I don't know what's gonna happen, and I don't want them hitting you. Don't worry, though. I got this."

Malon frowned and stepped back reluctantly. "What happened to the 'whoever gets out smacks them from outside the circle while they're occupied' plan?"

"I thought up a better one. The way these things move—"

They rushed him before he could explain. Link gave wordless yell and swung his sword around in a full circle. His blade passed through every single one of the cactus creatures before they could reach him and carried him spinning long after the point where he wished to stop. The cactus-things ricocheted off in all directions, some nearly cut in half, and all of them oozing with a strange, translucent liquid. Link's ankle turned in the unstable sand and he fell—his sword flying from his grasp as he hit the ground.

Malon rushed over, picking her way between the still-twitching cactus-bits.

"Link, are you okay?"

Link waited a moment for the world to stop spinning, then he picked himself up and managed a grin. "That… went better than I expected. Did… do you see where my sword landed?"

Malon covered her eyes and pointed. "Nayru preserve us both… it's over there. Please don't ever do that again. One of these days your dumb luck will run out, and then where will I be?"

"Somewhere safe, I hope," Link answered, stumbling over to retrieve his blade. He regarded it for a moment, then lifted the sword, shaking it vaguely in the hopes that the sand stuck in the plant-goo would come off. It didn't. Link sighed slightly and wiped the sword clean on his pants. The plant-blood smelled weirdly sweet.

Malon sighed, stepping up to get a better look at Link's face. "And what good is that if you've gotten yourself killed by… plant-looking-things? Link, unless you want me to have to tell Aryll that you were eaten by vegetables, you're going to have to start thinking these things through." She endeavored to look stern, but was betrayed by her concern.

Link shrugged and gave his best attempt at a casual smile. "I think them through well enough. I mean hey—we survived, didn't we? And neither of us got so much as a scratch. I'd call that a pretty good start to this adventure, compared to last time."

Malon pinched the bridge of her nose, hiding her eyes with her hand. "Compared to last time, sure. But compared to—I don't know—any other run we've ever been on? This is a bad start. Let's call it a day, Link. We came, we saw, we can conquer tomorrow. After we watch the beach long enough to see what else might pop out of the sand and try to eat us."

Link opened his mouth to offer some token protest, but Malon froze him with a look before he could get out a word.

"Before you say anything, Link, it's my turn to have a crazy idea, okay? You want to go see that little shack to see what we can find out, right? And the beach is alive with who-knows-what hazards that could kill us at any moment? Well, here's my crazy idea: we have a boat that flies."

Link paused for a long moment, then he gave a rueful chuckle. "That is an excellent point."

* * *

The _Epona_ came to a gentle stop several feet above the dilapidated hut, and Link and Malon descended the ladder with considerably more care than they'd bothered with earlier. They paused for a few moments in silent debate, each indicating that the other should knock, until finally Malon gave in and rapped three times on the loose-hanging door. It swung slightly at each impact.

A moment passed. The pair heard footsteps, and what sounded like a low voice, muttering. The door opened, revealing a large man with a belly like a barrel and a face only a mother could love. His bare shoulders were pink with sunburn, and a strange set of purple tattoos curled around his forearms, arcing down to just above the waistband of his plain white shorts, and ending in a curl around one of his ankles.

The man looked from Link to Malon, and his face lit up in a smile. "You two tourists?"

Malon shot a glance to Link, who shrugged and said, "Er… yes?"

The man grinned so wide, Link wondered that the top of his head didn't fall off. "Well, come on in then! Welcome to the Great Bay's one and only Fishing Hut! We haven't seen to many tourists 'round these parts lately—not since those pirates turned up and started driving everyone off. Speaking of, the Leevers give you much trouble?"

"Leevers?" Link asked.

"Aye, they're plant monsters that like to nest hereabouts. Usually give newcomers a right scare, though they're not too bad when you learn the tricks to outrun them. They're even better when you can learn where the nests are and just stay clear. But enough of that! Come inside, come inside! Tourists are always welcome!"

He ushered the both of them into the hut before either could properly protest. Though the outside of the hut made the place seem like an abandoned shack, the inside was surprisingly tidy. The floor sported a beautiful pattern of white and blue tiles, and the gently curving clay walls were lined with elegantly constructed bamboo furniture. A gleaming fish tank sat by one wall, inside which a strange, gold-colored fish bobbed pleasantly, and on the other wall hung a collection of wanted posters—all of them showing red-haired women in various threatening positions. Some of them scowled. Others smiled, and were somehow scarier.

Malon gave the posters a dismissive glance, then offered the large man a polite smile. "So… this is quite the nice… place, you have here. Have you lived in the area long?"

The man beamed and nodded. "I've fished these waters for thirty years!" He lowered his voice conspiratorially and winked. "There are some who say that when it comes to catching fish, I'm even better than the Zoras."

Link grinned, crossing his arms and leaning himself against the nearest wall, beside the fish tank. "Oh, really? That's quite the claim. I'm impressed—I always heard the Zoras were the best around. Can't say I know much about them, though, except that we haven't seen too much of them since the war."

The fisherman gave a knowing nod. "Aye, well, that's their way. They keep to their kingdom, more or less, and we land-folk keep to ours. They don't seem to want much to do with blood and bombs, and I can hardly blame them for that. But enough talk of that! What brings you two lovely folk out here on this fine day?"

Link cast a glance at Malon for help. She cleared her throat in answer. "It's just like you assumed, sir. Madas and I are tourists. We always heard the Great Bay was lovely this time of year, but we never—"

"Brave one!" A tiny, muffled voice called out by Link's ear, "Please, help me!"

Link stiffened and looked around. Malon seemed to be the only one talking, but the words certainly hadn't come from her. And aside from her and him and the fisherman, the hut was empty.

"Please, brave one—listen! You must listen!"

The little golden fish bobbed urgently in the tank, waving at Link with its curled-up tail. It was a strange creature, with a head like a horse and a body like no creature Link had ever seen. He met its eyes, and it nodded.

Link looked from the fish to the fisherman, and then back. He glanced to Malon, who caught his eye and tossed him a questioning glance without missing a beat in her spiel. She had not heard the fish speak. Link wasn't entirely sure he'd heard it, either. He raised both his eyebrows to Malon in a plea for her to keep the fisherman distracted, then he bent his head to better hear the fish.

"What?" he whispered softly, trying not to think about how absurd he must look.

"Please, help me!" the fish answered, "The fisherman is keeping me trapped! You must let me go—I promise I'll help you however I can!"

Link licked his lips and nodded slowly. "O… kay. Um… just… tell me what to do?"

The fish nodded firmly. "There's an empty bottle on the top shelf of the wardrobe by the door. If you can get that into the water, I can swim in, and you can get me out. Then please, please put me into the sea. I miss my family so much…"

Link nodded again and straightened up, feeling slightly dazed. He caught Malon's eye when the fisherman turned away to gesture at his wall of posters, and she flashed him an expression of concern—though it vanished into a polite smile the instant the man looked back to her.

"Keep him talking," Link mouthed when he had her attention again, gesturing towards the wardrobe, "I gotta do something."

Malon's polite smile grew strained and glassy for an instant, and one of her hands flexed in a subtlly exasperated shrug.

Link cringed an apology and passed her a sheepish grin.

Malon ran her hand over her hair and asked the fisherman to tell her more about the pirates.

Link sidled across the room and eased the wardrobe door open. The hinges creaked softly. Link winced.

An empty bottle sat tucked into the corner of the highest shelf, just as the fish had said. Link collected it gingerly, eased the wardrobe shut, and returned to the fish tank. He pulled out the bottle's stopper and flinched at 'pop' the cork made when it came free. The fisherman didn't seem to notice—he was too busy regaling Malon with a tale about some death-defying misadventure involving the Gerudo pirates and some stolen Zora eggs. Link was too busy questioning his own reality to pay much attention.

Muttering a quiet prayer to Nayru on behalf of logic, Link dipped the bottle into the fish tank and watched as the golden fish curled itself inside. He then recorked the bottle and quietly stuffed it into his pocket as though nothing in the world were wrong. Then he nodded to Malon, who wrapped up her conversation and bid the fisherman goodbye for the both of them—and then five minutes later, the pair were out the door and back on the _Epona_'s deck.

Malon hauled up the ladder, then turned to Link and raised both her eyebrows, her hands on her hips. "Okay. What was that about?"

Link pulled the fish in the bottle from his bag and showed it to Malon. "Uh… this."

Malon exhaled a slow sigh. "Link, why did you steal that man's fish?"

Link hesitated before mumbling, "It… asked me to?"

"It asked you to? Link—you didn't hit your head in that last fight, did you?"

"Not hard. Look, Malon, I don't know either—but if a fish comes up to me asking to be set free, I'm gonna try to set the fish free. I'm not in the habit of arguing with talking fish."

Malon frowned. "Let me see that."

Link handed the bottle over. Malon took it carefully and peered at the little golden creature. It said nothing. Malon handed the bottle back, and Link shrugged helplessly.

"It told me in there. It wanted to be set free, and so I'm gonna take it and put it in the ocean, because apparently that's what my life has come to. Far be it from me to question that."

Malon nodded slowly. "Eventually the fisherman is going to realize what you did."

Link shrugged again. "Of all the crimes I've committed in my life, this is one that will haunt me more if I don't go through with it. The fish wants to be free, Malon. It said so."

Malon gave another slow nod, keeping eye contact with Link all the while. "Okay, Link. Okay. You—you set the fish free, and then you get some sleep, alright? And in the morning, you're going to eat a good meal, and then you're going to take it easy for a little while. Okay? We can find the Zoras later."

Link nodded, but he felt compelled to add, "I promise you, Malon—I'm not crazy. The fish really did talk."

"I believe you, Link," Malon said, obviously lying.

"Honestly, Malon, I'm completely sane," Link added, half-sure he was lying as well. "Can we just… take _Epona_ down to the water so we can get this over with? I'm really not in the mood to encourage me either."

Malon nodded again, and she went to the wheel, gently directing the ship down until the _Epona_ drifted mere feet above the gently breaking waves. They tossed the ladder back down over the side for a third time, and Link descended to the water—Malon watching from above to make sure he didn't do anything even more erratic.

Link splashed into the shallows and waded until the surf lapped just above his knees, then he uncorked the golden fish's bottle.

"Well, uh… here you go, little guy… Good luck out there in the world. I hope you find your family. And… if you happen to know any Zoras, could you please let them know that there's a—a Hylian emissary seeking an audience with the king? Thanks. I... appreciate it."

Feeling more than a little awkward, Link bent down and dipped the open bottle into the ocean waves. The little fish spilled out and was gone in an instant. Link watched it go, muttered a quick plea to Nayru, then returned to the ship, where Malon was waiting for him with a warm blanket and a look of worryingly sincere concern.

* * *

Later that night, as Link was lying in his hammock failing at sleep, he heard a strange sound drifting up from the shore. At first, he thought it was a dream, because there was nothing in the world he knew that could produce such a haunting melody—but as he listened, it only continued, and at last he felt awake.

He sat up slowly and eased himself onto the floor, careful not to wake Malon. She dozed in the hammock next to him, her scarlet hair splayed about her still-worried face. Link didn't want to worry her more.

He climbed the ladder up to the deck as carefully as he could, and paused to look around before going any further. The night air was quiet, but for the singing, with the hush of the breaking waves providing a deeper sort of silence than that where noise was simply absent. A soft breeze pushed wispy black clouds across the star-spattered sky, and the moon hung silver above it all—dripping its cold light onto the crests of the ink-black waves. Below the _Epona_, the beach was dark and still, though as Link stared, he thought he saw several shapes moving in she shadows—strange, gelatinous things, wavering and quivering vaguely in the dark. He rubbed his eyes, but the shapes didn't go away, so Link decided to ignore them.

He turned his gaze back to the sea, and a new glimmer caught his eye—there, in the water not far from the ship, a shining figure stepped out of the waves, shimmering like a spirit and trailing starlight.

Link grabbed the ship's railing and leaned as far as he dared for a better look. The figure appeared female, and the longer Link watched, the more certain he became that she was the one singing. On a whim, Link tossed the ladder back over the side and climbed down to greet her.

The woman stood waist-deep in the water, staring up at the silver moon. Gracefully wafting fins trailed from her arms to drift in the water like some fine cloth, and a loose net of glittering pearls cascaded down from her oddly-shaped head to rest along her bare, silver-scaled shoulders. Where Hylians had ears, she had a pair of pointed fins—from which hung a pair of expensive-looking purple stones. She turned to face Link, and in her dispassionate gaze, Link saw a distant, aloof elegance that reminded him oddly of Zelda. The singing stopped, leaving the silence expectant.

Link cleared his throat. "Um… Pardon me—er… ma'am? You're… a Zora, right?"

The woman's expressionless gaze managed to convey an impressive amount of sarcastic disdain without actually moving at all.

"You see," Link fumbled on, "uh—I—I mean… Okay. Okay, let me start over: I'm an emissary from the Hylian court, seeking audience with the King of the Zoras. If you could help me… y'know… find him, that'd be cool."

"That'd be cool?" The woman echoed, the chill tones of disbelief ringing through her voice.

Link nodded. "Yeah, that'd be cool."

The woman stared blankly at Link for a long moment, then she snickered, looking him up and down. "The golden fish was right. You are a strange one. Do you have any idea who I am, boy?"

"Wait, the fish sent you?" Link asked, trying not to sound as relieved as he felt.

The Zora woman nodded, crossing her arms and giving Link a strange little smirk. "He told me a Hylian emissary sought audience with my father. Am I to assume _you_ are the emissary in question?"

Link nodded, then remembered his manners and offered a bow. "Yeah, I—that's me, your highness. I'm Link—and I'm here on behalf of Princess Zelda. She—"

Before Link could finish, the woman turned her face away, extending one of her hands back towards Link. He hesitated, then realized his cue, taking her hand and pressing it to his lips in imitation of a gentleman. Her scaled skin was cold and damp—it was exactly like kissing a fish.

"Well met, Link," the Zora woman said, withdrawing her hand and nodding with a graceful formality, "I am Princess Ruto, daughter of King Do Bon Zora III, Supreme Lord of the Zora Domain, Ruler of the Great Bay, and King of the Waters. What business does the Hylian princess have in our realm?"

"Uh—" Link began, trying to order his thoughts into a shape that could pass as professional, "Princess Zelda sent me here to reinforce the bonds between our people and… Er—"

"Ah. You want to know why the trade has stopped."

Link opened and shut his mouth a few times, then shrugged and nodded. "Yeah, that's the long and short of it. Not all of it, though. Zelda said something to me, earlier—rain falls on the mountains and flows to the sea, and violence does much the same thing. Things are starting to happen, now. Bad times for everyone, it looks like. And we all have to stand together if we're gonna survive it. So… that's part of why I'm here, I think. To get my people what they need, and to make sure your people have what you need."

Ruto cast him a sideways glance. "What makes you think the Zoras need anything from you, Hylian?"

Link shrugged. "Nothing, really. I just have my orders. And I can't exactly go back on them, you understand. Princess Zelda is counting on me, and it's more than my life's worth to disappoint her. Anyway, even if you don't need anything, we must have had some sort of trade-thing going on in the past, and if we're cutting that off, Zelda would at least like to know why."

Ruto nodded slowly, still not looking Link in the eye. He stood uncomfortably for a long moment as she seemed to examine him.

"Yes…" she murmured eventually, "Yes indeed… Alright. 'Link,' was it? I can get you an audience with my father."

"Thank y—"

"On one condition."

Link paused. "And… what condition is that?"

Ruto looked him full in the face for the first time in a while. A faint smirk played around her mouth, but it didn't reach her eyes. "As it happens, I believe I have a use for you. If you serve me in these next days, I shall assure you an audience. More than that—if you can assist me as I require, I'll put in a good word with my father and see that everything returns to the way it was. Do we have a deal?"

"What are—wait, hang on—what do you mean by 'serve?"

Ruto looked away again, turning her face back towards the moon. "I asked if we have a deal."

Link crossed his arms over his chest. The night air was cool, and he was starting to shiver. "I have this policy where I don't agree to things without knowing what a 'yes' actually means, Princess."

Ruto sighed. "Then I suppose there's no way around it. I suppose I must simply hope that the golden fish was right about your character. It's entirely personal and entirely selfish, but I fear I need your assistance, 'Link.' I'm sure you're unaware, but the machinations of palace life can be quite… tiresome. Are you at all familiar with chess?"

Link shrugged, staggering as a large wave knocked into him. "I might've played it once or twice, I think. Why?"

"Then you know, at least in theory, that while the Queen is clearly the most powerful piece on the board, she occasionally needs a pawn upon which to depend. My father… he expects me to marry, soon. I'd rather not. Yet he insists, and the longer I delay, the harder he tries to talk me into accepting one of his 'fine, upstanding Zora warriors.' He wants me to marry a 'traditional' boy. In fact, he rather has his heart set on it." Ruto turned back to Link suddenly, a fire gleaming in her eyes. "So if I were to come home one day with a Hylian fiance, well—perhaps then Father will finally stop pressuring me to rush into marriage."

Link's mouth fell open, and he blinked a few times. "I'm sorry, what?"

Ruto gave him an exasperated look. "Must I really explain myself again? I need you to pretend to be madly in love with me so that my father will get off my back. He'll be so relieved when I break up with you that he'll be happy to let the issue rest. I'm only asking you to buy me time. Once I've secured what I need, I'll pull strings and get you your ore and you can be on your merry way. You have my word as a princess."

Link started to speak, but he couldn't find the proper words. Eventually, he managed a weak, "That… doesn't… I'm not… I mean—that… I'm no politician, but it seems unwise to… you know… willfully irritate King Zora when I'm here for… diplomacy and stuff…"

"Don't think of it as angering the current ruler of the Zoras," Ruto insisted, cooly trailing her fingers in the water, "Think of this as making steps to forge a lasting alliance with the future ruler of the Zoras. It's politically advantageous to have a Queen in your debt."

"I really don't know how I feel about this plan," Link mumbled, glancing back to the gently drifting _Epona_, where Malon slept.

Ruto cast him another sidelong glance and cocked her head to the side. "You want to restore trade, yes?"

"Yeah, but—"

"Then you're going to do as I say. You need my help, and I need your help. That's what trade is founded upon, isn't it? This… the rest of this is just politics."

Link sighed and ran a hand down his face. "This feels a lot like blackmail."

"Politics," Ruto repeated with a small shrug. "If you want to get what you want, you have to help me get what I want. That's it. Now, 'Link,' you can either accept my deal, or you can walk away and inform her Highness, Princess Zelda, that you failed that mission that was 'worth more than your life.' It's entirely up to you."

Link took a deep breath, then nodded. "Well… Okay. I suppose you've got me, there. Just let me tell—"

"Take this, you'll need it," Princess Ruto interrupted, pressing a small silver triangle into Link's hand.

"Huh?" Link asked, eloquent as ever.

"It's a Zora scale. You'll want to put that on a pendant or something as soon as you can, because you'll never last in the palace without it. Humans can't withstand the pressure on their own."

"The pressure?"

"Of the water. Your kind are so fragile. Now, take a deep breath."

Link inhaled, intending to ask a question, but before he could so much as begin the words, Princess Ruto leapt like a dolphin, grabbing Link and pulling him down below the surface of the waves. Salt stung his eyes and filled his mouth and there was the sense of breathless speed and the weight of the ocean on his chest—and then there was pain in his lungs and salt in his throat—and then there was nothing but darkness.

* * *

**Hello, everyone. Guess who's not dead! I hope you've enjoyed this chapter of Red Lions Flying-and I'm sorry it took so long to arrive. Things have been crazy here, lately. Book signings and author visits and school and one thing leads to another and suddenly there's no time for anything else.**

**I'm happy to report, though, that _Wardbreaker_ is a thing that exists, and it's available on Amazon if you wanna check it out and support my writing habit. **

**Also Red Lions Flying is a thing that exists, so hopefully I'll be able to get back on a schedule, soon. Or something. I won't promise any sort of regularity yet, but know that I fully intend to keep this thing going until it's done-no matter how long it takes to get there.**

**Anyway, I'm hyped to finally launch this next arc. I didn't expect it to take nearly so long to get to the Zoras-but now we're finally here, and that means that we're that much closer to reaching the _really _fun stuff. **

**So yeah. Please review and let me know what you think! Your feedback inspires me and helps me make this fic the best it can be. Thanks for reading, and have a nice day!**

**~Garsson**


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